| | Published November 2nd, 2016
| Lamorinda Seniors Face Disparity in Parcel Taxes
| | | By Nick Marnell | | |
The four Lamorinda school districts treat residents aged 65 and over inconsistently when they apply for the senior parcel tax exemption on their owned and occupied Lamorinda residence.
The Moraga, Lafayette, Orinda and Acalanes school districts use revenue from parcel taxes to augment funding from the state, parent clubs and education foundations to support district operations. Parcel taxes levied annually by the Moraga School District total $517; Lafayette School District, $563; Orinda Union School District, $509; and Acalanes Union High School District, $301.
Seniors who own and occupy their residence can be exempt from paying the parcel taxes, but qualifying for that senior exemption is easier in some districts than in others.
According to district documents, MSD and OUSD allow the senior exemption only for seniors who are members of a "very low income household," defined as a household that does not exceed 50 percent of the area median income. OUSD lists that median figure for a two-person household as $52,650 on its 2016-17 exemption form, while MSD uses $39,000.
So in order to qualify for the exemption, OUSD and MSD seniors must fill out the exemption form every year, attach a portion of their federal tax return and supply a copy of their property tax bill and proof of age. The OUSD deadline for submission is June 15 each year; MSD allows until July 15.
By contrast, the AUHSD and LSD exemptions are available to all senior homeowners, without any proof of income.
Because all residents 65 and over are eligible for the parcel tax exemption, AUHSD does not require seniors to provide a copy of their federal tax return, and does not require them to reapply with the district every year. Seniors need provide only once a proof of age and a proof of residence. "We wanted to make it as simple as we could for our seniors," said Julie Bautista, AUHSD chief business official.
A similar procedure is followed by the LSD, but the district also requires a copy of a utility bill. "Once your application is accepted you will NOT need to reapply in subsequent years, provided your ownership and residence remains unchanged" is underlined at the bottom of the exemption form.
Dr. Carolyn Seaton was not around when the parcel tax language was written, but the new superintendent of OUSD gave her opinion on the district's senior exemption restrictions. "In my experience, residents, including senior citizens, are often supportive of a local school parcel tax because they believe strong local public schools are an investment in their community and help maintain their property values. In the short time that I have been in Orinda, I have observed the full school community, including our businesses, local agencies and our residents, to be extremely supportive of our schools," Seaton said.
The MSD parcel tax language preceded Bruce Burns, district superintendent, who said that he does not know why the very low income household qualification was used in the original ballot measure, but that the latest parcel tax committee wanted to ensure there was consistency between the taxes of 2004 and 2014. "It was maintaining a system that was in place," Burns said.
From the latest information supplied by each district, AUHSD recognizes a total of 40,603 taxable parcels of which 5,242 qualify for the senior exemption. For LSD, 10,284 parcels, 1,666 senior exemptions. OUSD, 7,865 and 78; MSD 5,935 and 52.
In a typical year, Lamorindans pay more than $21 million in parcel taxes to the four local school districts.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA