In response to a recent Letter to the Editor that discussed Amendment 11 and property tax breaks for senior citizens, Ocala residents wrote in and shared their thoughts and concerns on the topic:
“I came from Broward County. We have a ‘save our homes’ tax break and ‘low income’ tax break. The low income tax break saves our seniors $300.00 a year on home taxes. It would be a great thing for Ocala,” says Linda Slack, Ocala resident.
“I have lived in Marion County for 23 years, worked for Publix for 24 years, and became disabled on December 2, 2010. I went through major back surgery. I was separated from Publix (a.k.a. fired) and had to fight for long-term disability. I have two daughters to support and was dropped by Hartford Insurance. I was denied food stamps, denied all services. I tried to get help. My wife was also working for Publix as a customer service clerk for $11.50 an hour. This was a nightmare for us. My mother-in-law was bringing food over for us. Our taxes are $3,400 to $3,600 for our home and insurance. This is very difficult every year. I finally got Social Security after three denials. I had to hire a lawyer. Even with this small check, it is very hard to pay this ridiculous tax rate on our home. We haven’t been on a vacation since we have lived in Marion County. Now, with this COVID-19 thing, we are even worse. Something has to be done to reduce these taxes. Things are worse than explained,” says Ocala resident Kenneth Maddox.
“I owned my home in Marion County for over 40 years. I need relief from over 40 years of paying into it. I could have bought another house for all the taxes. It should be 65 and older who have owned a home for 25 years. Every one should get it, healthy or sick. If you’re that disabled, you’re probably in assisted living anyway. Get with Marion County,” says Dennis Spaeth, Ocala resident.
Would you like to share your thoughts with us? Share them in a comment or by writing a Letter to the Editor.