Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Feb. 13, 2023 – How Does Burlington Help Seniors on Fixed Incomes With Their Taxes?

Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Feb. 13, 2023QUESTION:"How does the City of Burlington help seniors of fixed incomes with their taxes?"ANSWER:We appreciate the proposed 2023 tax increase is certainly higher than what we are used to seeing or what we would like to see. The size of the increase this proposed budget is presenting to the community is not lost on Council or any of the City staff that have helped prepare this budget. We’re in a challenging place and further delaying these much-needed investments will only be a disservice to the community. Pushing these items down the road will only end up costing the community more as the price of things like construction and labour continue to go up.While the budget presents a big challenge, it also presents a great opportunity to make our city better by making the investments the community needs and has been asking for. This budget is about protecting and improving the future of our growing city.The City of Burlington’s Low-Income Seniors Property Tax Rebate Program offers a $550 rebate to eligible seniors on their property taxes. This amount was increased in 2021 and is the highest among the three municipalities in Halton that offer a rebate.To qualify, you or your spouse must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be at least 65 years old, as of Jan. 1;
• Be the assessed owner and occupant of a residential property in the City of Burlington for at least one year preceding the application;
• Have received your Guaranteed Income Supplement (as laid out in the Old Age Security Act); and
• Have paid property taxes in full, excluding the applicable rebate.

More information is available on burlington.ca/propertytaxHalton Region also offers the Older Adult Property Tax Deferral Program. More information is available online: Older Adults Property Tax Deferral Program – City of Burlington

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RELATED LINKS:

• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Feb. 6, 2023 – Does Burlington Offer Support in Accessing Recreation Programs?
• Mayor’s Mailbag – January 2023 Roundup – Mental Health Resources, Arts & Culture Fund, & Homelessness Support
• Mayor’s Mailbag – December 2022 Roundup – Bill 23, Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund, & Winter Storm Updates