Letter: Facts about Measure S and the senior exemption

Questions have arisen in postings here on Coastsider about Measure S and the senior exemption and it’s important that the public understands how it works.

The June 15 deadline to file the exemption is as late as it can possibly be for the July 1 tax date.  The tight timeline this year is an unavoidable situation with a June election.  Any senior who isn’t able to file their exemption before the deadline this year can contact Superintendent John Bayless directly at the district office and he will work with the individual to ensure that he or she does not have to pay the tax.

Personal identification is not required after the first year the exemption is filed - just a resubmission of the exemption form and verification of ownership.  Exemptions must be filed yearly simply to verify that the person who filed for exemption the previous year still retains ownership of the property.

To make this process as easy as possible for seniors, the district office in March of each tax year will contact seniors who filed for exemption the previous year to assist them in resubmitting for the new tax year.