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.