Sen. Bonham: Property tax freeze for seniors update

By Oregon State Senator Daniel Bonham,

One of the bills I supported pulling to the floor for its day in the sun was SJR 17.

No age demographic feels the pinch of affordability more than our aging population. Our state is here today, in part, thanks to the hard work of these Oregonians, who are now in their “golden years”. However, instead of enjoying the fruits of their labor, these Oregonians often face rising health care costs and inflationary price increases for food and other necessities, all while attempting to make ends meet on fixed incomes.

While the legislature can’t solve all the rising costs, we have the power to help these Oregonians by recognizing the impact of ever-rising property taxes.

SJR 17 would have frozen the primary residency property taxes for Oregonians over the age of 65, so every time the legislature decided to increase property tax costs, aging Oregonians would not experience the financial hit. It failed on the Senate Floor.

Watch my remonstrance here

SJR 17 was about affordability for aging Oregonians and showed a commitment to them by recognizing their contributions to our society, while understanding the reality of their financial situations. Our aging population should not be expected to keep up with every increasing tax burden while living on a fixed income.

I wish the legislature, led by the majority party, would have stepped up to do our part to help these Oregonians by freezing property tax increases and making it more affordable for them to live and retire here. It is truly disappointing to see that property tax increases will be put on the backs of the people that helped make our state the place we love today.