Bill would increase circuit breaker

State lawmakers unveiled a bipartisan effort on Monday to increase the circuit breaker property tax reduction for seniors and other qualifying homeowners.
 The legislation was jointly drafted by Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, Sen. Kelly Anthon, R-Burley and Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls.
 The plan would increase Idaho’s Property Tax Reduction program benefit, also known as the  circuit breaker, from $1,320 to $2,000 and adjust the income thresholds required to qualify for the property tax relief.
 Idahoans who are 65 years or older, disabled, blind, or widowed, as well as other qualified groups, can use the circuit breaker program to reduce their property tax bills.
 The program is administered by the state tax commission and county assessors.
 “Idaho’s circuit breaker program helps disadvantaged people and veterans reduce their residential property taxes. It is paid for with state money so that the property tax reductions are not passed on to other property taxpayers,” Burgoyne said.
 The proposed legislation will do two things. First, it will raise the maximum amount of income people can have and still qualify for help. Second, for the first time, it will take into account household size in setting the income eligibility limit.
 The current income limit is $31,280 per year. A couple that has income over that is ineligible, but a single person with income below that is eligible for at least some property tax reduction.
 The bill raises the income limit for households of two or more to $40,000 per year, and for single person households to $32,000 per year.
 There are numerous bills pending in the Legislature that deal with property taxes in some way, shape or form. All of them seek to reduce escalating property taxes, a situation that some lawmakers have said is not uniform across Idaho.
 “Idaho’s elderly, disabled, and veterans should never be taxed out of their homes by high real property taxes,” Sen. Anthon said. “In many Idaho communities, the Circuit Breaker tax reduction program helps the most vulnerable Idahoans afford property taxes and stay in their homes. The bi-partisan legislation we have proposed will fix problems in Idaho law that are keeping these Idahoans from accessing property tax relief.”
 Anthon said this “simple bill” is the one of the easiest of policy options available to begin to fix the problems with Idaho’s property tax laws. It is easily implemented and easily afforded without hurting local governmental entities.