Voters in two Alabama counties decide Tuesday, Nov. 3, whether homeowners 65 and older can freeze the assessed value of their homes for property tax purposes. The questions are on the ballot in Blount County and in Covington County. Each is a separate constitutional amendment, and each is worded almost the same way.
What a yes vote would do
A yes vote would let a qualified owner claim a senior property tax exemption. Under the enrolled text of House Bill 507, the Covington County measure, the exemption freezes the assessed value of the property at the level it had the year before the owner claims it. Assessed value is the figure the county multiplies by the tax rate, so holding it steady limits one of the two things that push a bill up.
The Blount County amendment works the same way, according to Ballotpedia’s page on the measure. Both are legislative referrals. That means lawmakers put them on the ballot, not a petition drive.
Who would qualify for the freeze
The age line is 65. The owner must also hold the property in the county, and the home must be classified as single-family, owner-occupied residential property. It has to have been the owner’s principal residence for at least five years immediately before the first tax year the exemption is claimed…