Reps. Farry, Thomas announce senior property tax freeze legislation

© Shutterstock

State Reps. Frank Farry (R-Langhorne) and Wendi Thomas (R-Richboro) recently announced plans to introduce legislation to freeze property or eligible homeowners who are 65 years of age or older.

“Far too often we hear from seniors in our districts who are on a fixed income and have trouble staying in their homes due to the large burden of property taxes,” Farry said. “While ultimately we would like to see statewide elimination of property taxes, we can take the first step by granting immediate relief to our most vulnerable residents.”

The bill would require the homeowner to have established residency in Pennsylvania, have paid property taxes for more than five years before filing for the freeze and have a combined household income of under $65,000 per year.

The legislation would allow senior residents with incomes exceeding $65,000 to qualify if their property tax liability is 10% or more of their total income.

“This would provide a much-needed degree of financial certainty for older Pennsylvanians and ensure they can remain in the homes they worked their entire lives for,” Thomas said.

The lawmakers plan to introduce their legislation in the coming weeks.