BRUNSWICK

A property tax relief proposal came before the town council on Monday, but who would benefit from the plan is still up for debate.

Staff formed the parameters of the proposal based on direction from the finance committee before submitting it to the council. But how the town will confirm eligibility for the program needs further consideration. Factors include the length of time a person has been a resident of Brunswick, their age, proof of income, and kinds of documentation.

For example, the finance committee is considering requiring applicants be at least 70 years old.

Councilors Sarah Brayman and Steve Walker said they would rather support a program that provided relief to residents regardless of age, citing the struggle of young families.

Brayman noted that 196 Brunswick residents under the age of 65 qualified for a state tax exemption program in 2016. Twenty-seven residents older than 65 received aid in the same year.

“It’s shocking this many people can get assistance, and it shows the level of poverty in the town and the state,” Brayman said, adding that even people who make $33,000 a year are spending 40 percent of their income on rent.

Brayman said it is not up to her to decide at what age an individual or family may need assistance, or to question why they cannot get a better paying job or work more hours. She said she would support a program open to all, even if the credit may be a lesser amount.

Councilor Jane Millett said she would support having the program first be open to residents age 70 and older, because many people are still working until that age.

In 2015, 242 Brunswick residents qualified for aid from the state’s property tax fairness program, and received an average credit of $291. The state’s program includes renters, but the town’s policy would likely only apply to homeowners.

In Harpswell, residents must apply for the state program first, and if there is still a balance remaining on their property tax bill, they can apply to the town program as well.

To qualify for the state program, the range of earnings an individual cannot exceed runs from $21,000 to $53,000, depending on marital status and exemption claims. People under age 65 can receive up to $600, and those older than 65 are eligible to receive up to $900.

Town Manager John Eldridge, in a previous discussion about the program, recommended capping the program at a certain amount of money, for example, $100,000, and after the money is used for the year, it’s gone.

For the first year the program is implemented, the money will likely be taken from town revenue. If adopted, the committee is eyeing this program to start in the 2018-19 budget.

Since the matter is not an urgent concern for this budget cycle, the finance department will have additional time to research and draft a proposal with council input.

Earlier this year, the finance committee discussed how the program would be funded. Options included donations, or appropriations from town money.