Council on Aging advances $2,000 senior tax work-off cap to assessors

SUDBURY — February 26, 2024 — Sudbury Council on Aging advances $2,000 senior tax work-off cap as new center attendance surges. Director Deb Galloway told the board Monday that 331 new individuals have registered in the first seven months of fiscal 2024 — up from 178 in FY21 — putting the center on pace for roughly 600 new participants this year, with 1,106 unique users and about 60 check-ins per day in January. The board is recommending the town raise the senior property-tax work-off cap from $1,500 to $2,000 across its 68 slots, pending review by Town Assessor Cynthia Gerry and the Select Board. Chair Paul Marotta reported the town has received only $31,250 of an original $125,000 state transportation earmark, which expires June 30. AARP Tax-Aide has 80 appointments booked, and the Community Preservation Committee is sending $400,000 for the Housing Authority and $380,000 for the Housing Trust to May 6 Town Meeting. "We'll probably end up maybe getting to 600 or something," Galloway said of new participants.