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Numbers about the same for tax exemptions

ALPENA — Tax exemptions for both veterans and poverty-eligible residents remained close to previous year’s numbers following the Alpena Township’s March board of review meetings.

The board of review meets in three months of the year to hear tax exemption applications from residents whose homestead property is located within the township. During the March meetings the three-person board approved 17 military veteran exceptions and 10 poverty exemptions.

Board member Gerald Fournier said the board of review met in March for three days, will meet in July for two and in December for maybe a half day to get through the township’s cases. In March the meetings are normally to rule on the applications, in July it is to take up protests or tabled applications, and December tends to be for correction of any errors.

Applicants who apply for the tax exemptions must meet with Township Supervisor Nathan Skibbe to go over the application before submitting it to the board. After having applied, the applicant will set up an appointment before the board where it will make a ruling.

Fournier said there was a new change for this year affecting veterans. The board will either grant a full tax exemption for a 100 percent disabled veteran or must deny it completely instead of being able to give a percentage as was practice in past years.

For poverty exemptions the board has more flexibility and aims for what Fournier called an equitable solution.

“The poverty one goes by the township’s adopted standards,” he said. “We can give them a percentage or what we feel would help them out and get them out of the hole.”

The aim of the board is not only to find an equitable solution but to answer questions applicants may have during the process, he said.

For the set of March meetings the board granted eight full exemptions and granted two partial exemptions. The two granted partials were given a 50 percent exemption and a 75 percent exemption based upon their situations.

Township Assessor Kris Lewis said the numbers were similar to previous years.

“We had two more veteran exemptions than last year and poverty exemptions were pretty much the same,” he said. “Most of them are repeats with one or two new ones.”

Lewis said he prefers, for matters of less paperwork, that applicants apply before the March meetings. However, he said applicants are allowed to apply at any time of the year.

Fournier said board members attend an annual conference to learn the newest laws and practices to make sure it can give everyone an equal chance during the process.

“We want to make sure that everyone understands the process and that we treat everyone equally,” he said. “If I was in there situation I would expect no less.”

Tyler Winowiecki can be reached via email at twinowiecki@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688. Follow Tyler on Twitter tw_alpenanews.

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