The Senior Tax Freeze on Mobile County's November 3 Ballot

If you're 65 or older and own your home in Mobile County, or you help a parent who does, there's a question on the November 3 ballot worth a few minutes of your time before you vote. It's listed as Local Amendment One, and it deals with property taxes on the home you live in.

What Local Amendment One would do

Based on reporting from FOX10 on October 28 and a ballot guide from PARCA, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, on October 22:

• It would freeze the assessed value of a primary home for owners 65 and older who have owned and lived in that home for at least five years in a row.
• It does not freeze tax rates. Any new millage approved by local leaders would still apply, and additions to the home would still be taxed.
• It would also raise the income limit for certain existing county senior homestead exemptions to $50,000.

A yes vote approves the freeze and the higher income limit. A no vote keeps the current property tax rules.

Why it matters to homeowners

Your property tax bill follows your home's assessed value. When values climb, the bill can climb with it, even if nothing about your home or your income has changed. For someone on a fixed income, that's often the worry.

For context, the median sale price in the Mobile area was $249,000 in September, up 1.6% from a year earlier, according to the Alabama Center for Real Estate. That's a modest rise, but it adds up over years of owning the same home.

What supporters and critics say

In FOX10's report, Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson said, "I support exemptions for senior citizens, particularly those on fixed incomes." Supporters say a freeze helps older residents stay in homes they've lived in for years.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research group, has criticized age-based tax breaks in general. Its view is that relief should be aimed at lower-income households, whatever their age.

How you vote is your call. I'd just like you to walk in knowing what the question actually says.

If you live on the Baldwin side

Baldwin County has had a similar senior freeze since 2007, according to FOX10. Baldwin's version requires 10 years of residency instead of five. If you or a parent might qualify and have never asked about it, a call to the Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner's office is a good place to start.

If a move is on your mind

Many families talk about whether a parent should stay put or move closer to family or into something smaller. If Mobile's amendment passes, it becomes one more piece of that conversation. Before making plans around any freeze or exemption, ask the revenue office how it would apply if you later sell and buy another home. I'd rather you hear that answer from them than guess.

At Perch & Oak Property Group and Keller Williams Mobile, we're always glad to have these conversations, long before anyone is ready to list. If you'd like to talk through what staying or moving might look like for your family, reach out here.

Property tax rules and exemptions change and depend on your situation. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your eligibility with the Mobile County Revenue Commission, the Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner's office, or a tax professional.

Be Home.
Leslie Davis, AL License #72650
Perch & Oak Property Group