Q&A with Cameron Andrews
Q&A with Cameron Andrews
Residence: Centerville
Occupation: Centerville councilman, school administrator
Q: Voters defeated a referendum last year to do away with Centerville’s senior citizen tax exemption. Why did you bring up the idea of getting rid of it at a council meeting earlier this month?
A: I’m concerned there’s a significant amount of revenue the city loses each year. It’s approaching a quarter of a million dollars a year. Another thing is the fairness of it.
Q: Are you going to pursue getting rid of the exemption?
A: I don’t think it will ever be stricken. I’m not going to try to get another referendum and that’s the only way to change it. In the previous referendum the younger crowd was apathetic and didn’t show up to vote.
Q: So you’re dropping the idea?
A: To get it on the ballot and change it -- yes. But there are some things we can do with problems we see with it.
Q: Such as?
A: Well, there are cases we’ve become aware of where people are fraudulently receiving the exemption, but that’s being addressed internally. We know of people who’ve taken the exemption for years and years that weren’t even eligible for it in the first place. We’ve found people taking it on property they own but technically they’re not residents here.
Q: What are you going to do about it?
A: We’re looking at solutions.
Q: Again, such as?
A: Such as annual re-qualification for the exemption with proof of age, ownership, residency -- that sort of thing.
Q: Is there much fraud?
A: We’re not sure of the scope, but there’s a percentage and we can reclaim that revenue.
Q: To be clear, outline the exemption?
A: It’s for seniors 70 and over, and it’s a 100 percent exemption from Centerville city property tax. I don’t know of anywhere you get a 100 percent exemption. Warner Robins gives a tax break but nowhere near 100 percent. I want to be clear -- I’m not against our seniors. I have a deep appreciation for them. I have a deep appreciation for my parents’ generation, but it was my parents who taught me to pay for what I get.
Q: And you think the exemption doesn’t jive with that?
A: The city property tax pays for police service, fire service and other city services that everybody gets and that create a good quality of life here. The exemption is giving free services to a lot of people who could pay for them.
Q: But still, didn’t city leaders decide in the early 1990s that seniors deserved a break?
A: I don’t think they imagined what would happen 25 years later. I have the utmost respect for the intent, but the results have gotten out of hand. I don’t think they foresaw that.
Q: What was the intent, and what are some current results?
A: Originally, they tried to help a handful of elderly citizens survive. They owned modest homes, were on fixed incomes and were struggling. Retirees and widows. Today, people who can well afford it, people who live in expensive homes, get it. We’re not against the original intent. In fact, the referendum that lost wasn’t even to end the exemption. It kept a 100 percent exemption on the first $100,000 value of a home so it was still a help for those who needed it. As it is, people under 70 are unfairly paying for services for their older neighbors. Neighbors who might live in a way nicer house than they do.
Q: What is Centerville losing?
A: I’ll put it this way: in 2005 there were 184 houses that got the exemption. Last year there were 330. In 2005, Centerville lost $81,000 in revenue. Last year it lost $213,530. This year it’s increased by 24 more to 354 homes and Centerville is losing $233,548. In a 10 year period, Centerville has lost $1,820,844. After next year it will be $2 million. There’s $19.5 million worth of property right now In Centerville that people aren’t paying tax on. But they’re getting city services. Good city services. They pay county tax, but not city.
Q: What’s the average city tax on a home?
A: I don’t know. I’ve got about a 2,700 square foot home and pay around $700 to $800. You know, my very real concern is not that we’re losing money to some senior citizens, it’s that at this rate can the city remain solvent, can we provide quality services to more and more people with more and more people not paying tax? Can we do it with this kind of revenue loss? Can we do it without raising taxes? I hate raising taxes. I’ve only voted to raise taxes twice in 12 years. The demographic in Centerville is aging and will be top heavy soon. If we keep losing revenue but have to provide those people services, the people who do pay will just have to pay more. I’m afraid of us getting an influx of people coming just to retire and reap the benefit of no city property taxes. We can’t do that and expect to remain solvent as a city.
Answers may have been edited for length and clarity. Compiled by Michael W. Pannell. Contact him at mwpannell@gmail.com.
This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Q&A with Cameron Andrews ."