OP-Ed By Frank Spotorno
So, we’re approaching the November election, and it’s time to get real about the issues that really matter to us – you know, the important stuff: our wallets, families, and community. For too long, property taxes have been a burden, affordability has been out of reach, and utility bills have been skyrocketing.
Meanwhile, grocery prices continue to climb, squeezing our budgets to the limit. But hey, who needs food when you can have a fancy new skyscraper, right?
But seriously, there’s a particular group that’s feeling the pinch especially hard: our senior citizens. Living on a fixed income, they’re struggling to keep up with the ever-increasing costs of living in Yonkers. And to add insult to injury, the maximum income requirement for senior citizens getting a 50% tax break is a laughable $50,000. Yes, you read that right – $50,000.
For a husband and wife to get the full 50% off property taxes, they need to make $50,000 or less on their combined social security income. And if by chance they are on social security disability, it doesn’t matter, you’re not exempt.
Are you kidding me? With the cost of living in Westchester County, that’s not even enough to cover the basics. And let’s not forget that Social Security benefits aren’t even indexed to keep pace with inflation.
The yearly COLA adjustment is a joke, and our senior citizens are left to suffer the consequences. It’s time for our city representatives to step up and do something about it. Raising the maximum income requirement for senior citizens to receive a full 50% tax breaks to at least $75,000 would be a good start.
In fact, the city should consider expanding eligibility for property tax exemptions for seniors.
Currently, the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption can provide up to a 50% reduction in property taxes, but the income limits are too restrictive. By excluding Social Security income from the adjusted gross income calculation, we can provide substantial relief to seniors on fixed incomes. So, what can you do? Get out and vote: Every vote matters, and every voice deserves to be heard.
Don’t let the couch potatoes win this one! Know the issues: Stay informed about the key challenges facing our city and the candidates’ positions on these issues. It’s time to get your geek on! Make your voice heard: Share your concerns with your neighbors, friends, and family. Encourage them to participate in the election and make a difference. Let’s make some noise, folks!
Let’s take back our city and demand better from our representatives. We are the backbone of Yonkers, and it’s time our voices are heard loud and clear. Mark your calendars, get out to vote, and let’s make a change. It’s time to put the ‘Yonk’ in Yonkers and make our voices heard!
The Reality of Property Taxes in Yonkers
It often feels like our voices are being ignored. Our representatives seem to only care about our votes every election cycle, but not about our struggles to keep up with the ever-increasing costs of living in Yonkers.
The Power is in Your Vote
This election is our chance to make a difference. By casting our ballots, we can demand change and hold our elected officials accountable for the issues that affect us most. We can push for policies that prioritize affordability, reduce property taxes, and make life more manageable for working-class families. So, What Can You Do? Get out and vote: Every vote matters, and every voice deserves to be heard.
Know the issues: Stay informed about the key challenges facing our city and the candidates’ positions on these issues.
Make your voice heard: Share your concerns with your neighbors, friends, and family. Encourage them to participate in the election and make a difference.
The Future of Yonkers is in Our Hands
Let’s seize this opportunity to shape the future of our city. Let’s stand up for our rights as property owners and demand better from our representatives. Together, we can create a more affordable, sustainable, and equitable Yonkers for all. So, mark your calendars, get out to vote, and let’s make our voices heard.
It’s not about just about those candidates or incumbents who go on News 12 and tell us they know best because they came from public housing and they can feel our pain. That’s a bunch of malarkey. They don’t know what it’s like paying these skyrocketing property taxes, utilities and raising a family. It’s not just about those who came from public housing, it’s all about people like us who are the backbone of Yonkers engine, the people who actually generate the funds to keep our municipality and its agencies functioning.
Let’s not forget who are the real people who keep our city running and the people who make our lives matter and the ones who truly support our union brothers and sisters, the property owners of the City of Yonkers, the engine of our economy.
Frank J Spotorno
Retired UBC Member – Local 2790
Yonkers, NY
