MoALSO Educational Sessions

Upcoming Educational Session

Monday, March 13 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm (Virtual Meeting)

Topic: Overview of Missouri's Hancock Amendment & Review of Legislation Impacting Senior Levy Funds

Speaker: Brian Colby, Missouri Budget Project 

Many senior levy boards across the state receive requests that far exceed what they collect. As a result board members have to make difficult decisions on what programs and services they can and cannot support to help older residents age in the community. As members of the Mo Association of Levy Boards and Senior Organizations, we want to invite you to attend our next meeting on Monday, March 13. At this meeting you will learn:

• About the thirty bills in the General Assembly that have been introduced that, if passed, would reduce your senior levy funding significantly. 

• We will provide information about the Hancock amendment and how it works to limit your funding.

• And the need for each levy fund board to reach out to your senators in support of Senate Bill 15. the Missouri Property Tax Credit (aka Circuit Breaker) program is supported by the state budget. Right now the Missouri Senate is deciding on Senate Bill #15 which would support much-needed updates to the program. By updating the statute that governs the program, Missouri Lawmakers can provide real property tax relief for older Missourians, disabled veterans, and Missourians with disabilities, and help these Missourians remain living independently in their own homes. We need your help. Please contact your state senator today and let them know how important this program is for older adults in your community. See use this link to locate your state legislators. Once you reach out, email me back and let me know you have contacted them. 

• See these talking points to use when speaking with lawmakers.

Missouri’s Property Tax Credit program helps older adults – those 65 and older- and Missourians living with disabilities who have fixed incomes stay in their homes by offsetting a portion of the cost of property tax. Though the average credit is just $600/year, the Circuit Breaker program is a critical lifeline for 131,145 households throughout the state. But because the credit hasn’t been adjusted since 2008, every year more and more of the folks the credit was designed for are left out. 

SB15 offers a good start to updating the program to reflect inflation by raising income eligibility limits and increasing them annually for inflation, as well as adjusting maximum credits annually for inflation. Advocates are also talking with Senator Cierpiot about amending the bill to also change the phaseout amount for the credit tables. Currently only homeowners or renters who have a household income below $14,300 can receive the maximum credit. The credit amount significantly decreases for anyone with incomes above that amount. Residents who are eligible to apply but have income near the eligibility cap can receive credits less than $10.

Monday, April 10 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm (Virtual Meeting)

Topic: The Future of Senior Centers

Speaker: Dianne Stone, Associate Director, NCOA, Network Development and Engagement