Tennessee official floats full property tax reimbursement for seniors

Participants would also need to have maintained continuous in-state residency for 20 years or more.

According to the proposal, the cost of the program would equal approximately 3% of Tennessee’s annual state budget. It could be funded by the state’s recurring surplus — estimated at $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion per year.

Mitchell asserted that Tennessee has the fiscal capacity to support the initiative without cutting existing services or raising taxes.

“The money is there. The question is priority,” he said. “If Tennessee can afford to give $1 billion annually in tax cuts to big business, we can certainly afford to protect the seniors who built our communities and have been paying into the system for decades.”

Under current law, Tennessee operates a property tax relief program that reimburses qualifying, low-income elderly and disabled homeowners for part of their annual property tax obligation.

That program — administered by the state comptroller’s office — typically distributes more than $40 million annually in tax relief to 100,000-plus residents.

Mitchell and other advocates for the proposal say it would help prevent tax foreclosures while allowing older homeowners to redirect limited income toward local goods, services and health care.

“This is responsible stewardship, not reckless spending,” Mitchell added. “Tennessee has the resources. What we need now is the political will to protect the people who made Tennessee what it is today.”

Supporters of the Golden Homeowners Tax Relief Program are encouraging residents to sign a petition at Change.org to demonstrate the demand for legislative action.