The campaign of Assembly #50 candidate Jon Aleckson has distributed an 8×10 postcard to every senior aged 60 and older in southwestern Dane County and all of Green County, highlighting his commitment to fight for a targeted property tax freeze that would help seniors remain in their homes.
Aleckson acknowledges that a full property tax freeze for targeted seniors would ultimately require a constitutional amendment. He has vowed to set up a campaign to seek just that if elected.
In the meantime, he has outlined a plan to expand Wisconsin’s homestead tax credits as a practical step to ease the burden on qualifying older homeowners. “Far too many seniors in Wisconsin have had to prematurely leave their homes because of rising property taxes,” Aleckson said. “It is far better for seniors to be able to live out their lives in their homes, if they are healthy enough, then to be forced to move out.”
The mailer has drawn positive responses from residents across the district. Michael Ojer of New Glarus, who operates an acupuncture business in Madison, said: “I’ve had two senior customers in the last year say they had to sell their homes due to property tax increases. Seniors have a lot of pride in the homes they own only to be crushed by rising property taxes and new assessments.”
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Jim Weber of Oregon added: “I wouldn’t qualify myself, but there are a lot of seniors on a fixed income that are impacted by property taxes. This property tax freeze for seniors’ idea is a good idea.”
Aleckson’s outreach underscores his focus on the affordability issue by protecting longtime homeowners in southwestern Dane and Green counties from the financial pressure of escalating property taxes and assessments. Aleckson also has a plan to increase the number of starter homes built in the district. “We must address the fact that the average first-time home buyer is now 40 years old. Making a starter home affordable starts with cutting red tape, making mortgages transferable and taking advantage of new federal programs to address this issue.”
