Recently, the Idaho House introduced a new property tax deferral program for seniors. The proposed bill allows cash-strapped seniors to defer paying their property taxes. Qualifying property owners assume a state held lien on their property in exchange for the unpaid tax. The resulting liability accrues with interest until the property is sold. The state collects the deferred taxes from the proceeds.We welcome Representative Lauren Necochea, D-Boise to the Dem Club this Friday to unpack this legislation and its implications. Although she supports it, she sees it as a stop gap not a permanent solution to rising property taxes. Join her this Friday at noon online for a discussion about the bill and her long-term recommendations for genuine tax relief.
We distribute a Zoom link on the Thursday prior to the meeting date. To request the link or assistance getting connected, contact Phil at pjwmia@aol.com.
Representative Lauren Necochea
In an interview with the Idaho Press, Rep. Necochea, said, “I will give this bill (HB309) my green light, but with an important footnote. This is an optional program, and I’m willing to support it because it is an optional program for seniors who are struggling with their circumstances and are willing to say, ‘OK, state, you can take over my property and take over the value of my property,'” she said. “This absolutely cannot be our solution to property taxes.” Necochea said she just got an email from an Idahoan in her sixties on this issue. “She said, ‘We need real property tax reductions, not liens on our homes,'” Necochea said.
Born and raised in Boise, Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Pomona College and a Master of Arts in public affairs from Princeton University. She is also a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.
