Springfield City will accept applications for a pilot senior tax work-off program from Feb. 10 through March 31, 2025, with a public lottery to select participants set for April 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Raymond Jordan Center, city staff told the General Government Committee on Jan. 17.

The program lets residents age 60 and older earn a property tax abatement by working up to 67 hours for city departments. "The applications are gonna be opened up from February 10, 2025, and they're gonna be closing on March 31st 2025 at 4 PM," Jose Hernandez, the program coordinator, said during the committee meeting. He said the pilot will select 20 participants and that the work period runs July 1 through Oct. 1.

The pilot is intended to provide both tax relief and social engagement, committee members said. The chair of the General Government Committee said, "I'm personally extremely excited about this program," and Councilor Jay said the program addresses both financial relief and the social isolation many seniors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How it will work: applicants must submit a physical application to the Raymond Jordan Center by 4 p.m. March 31; staff will enter submissions into a lottery and draw 20 names on April 4. Hernandez said the initial application is an eligibility form and that selected participants will complete income verification and payroll paperwork afterward. "The lottery is April 4th April 4th from 10 to 12," Hernandez said.

Selected participants will receive a W-2 for the hours worked; the city will forward completed hours to the assessor's office so the abatement can be applied to the following tax year. "It's only 67 hours," Hernandez said, describing the program's required work period. Hernandez and committee members said the $1,000 abatement is applied directly to the property tax bill rather than issued as a check.

Eligibility and income guidelines: Hernandez said the program will follow the state circuit-breaker income guidelines for 2025. He described the income limits he was using for initial screening: $72,000 for a single individual, $91,000 for head of household, and $109,000 for married couples filing jointly. He also said assets (home value, cars) are not counted as income for this program; only recurring income is considered and participants must document income when vetted after the lottery.

Departments and placements: Hernandez said he has reached out to city departments and has commitments or interest from library services, health and human services, veteran services, elder affairs and collections/filing offices. He said some departments offered only one or a few short-shift positions; because the pilot involves a small number of hours, some departments were initially reluctant to train short-term helpers. Work examples Hernandez gave included library shelving, light kitchen/café tasks at elder affairs, filing and bulletin-board tasks, and parks beautification.

Logistics and outreach: physical applications will be available at the Raymond Jordan Center, elder affairs locations, libraries, the assessor's office and veteran services; online forms will be posted on the elder affairs web page and must be printed and delivered in person. Hernandez said a mayoral press event is planned for Feb. 6 to announce the opening and boost outreach; committee members encouraged additional outreach to local service organizations such as VFW posts, Elks clubs and union halls and to local TV outlets. Hernandez said materials and the frequently asked questions will be available in English and Spanish.

Other program details: if a participant cannot complete the full 67 hours, the city will record and credit the hours actually worked toward a prorated abatement. Households may designate an eligible spouse to finish hours for a household’s single abatement; the program will not allow the same person to participate two years in a row (selected participants must skip one year before reapplying). Hernandez said some towns allow larger abatements and longer hour requirements (he cited examples up to 133 hours and $200 abatement in other jurisdictions), and that the state circuit-breaker credit can be combined with the city abatement; in some cases participants could receive both state and city relief.

Next steps: applications open Feb. 10, 2025, a mayoral press event is scheduled for Feb. 6, and the lottery for 20 pilot slots is set for April 4. Staff will vet winners, assign placements and track weekly timesheets through supervisors; completed hours will be reported to the assessor for the following fiscal year tax roll.

The pilot does not include a formal vote at the meeting. Committee members asked staff to continue outreach to departments, the mayor's office, the assessor and other community partners and to return with results and recommendations after the pilot year for possible expansion.