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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF INCREASING THE YEARLY GRANTS PROVIDED BY THE SAVE OUR SENIORS HOMEOWNERS� RELIEF FUND, AND REQUIRING A REPORT

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WHEREAS, section 6(d) of Article VII of the Florida Constitution and section 196.075 of the Florida Statutes, provide to qualifying senior citizens certain exemptions from ad valorem property taxes, including a $50,000.00 exemption to any person who has the legal or equitable title to real estate, maintains permanent residence on the property, is 65 or older, and whose household income does not exceed the household income limitation (�senior exemption�); and
WHEREAS, for tax year 2020, the income limitation for the senior exemption was $30,721.00; and
WHEREAS, approximately 27,201 households in the County qualified for the senior exemption in tax year 2020; and
WHEREAS, according to the records of the Miami-Dade County Office of the Property Appraiser, the total County taxable value for these 27,201 homes qualifying for the Senior Exemption was $1,304,037,824.00 for tax year 2020; and
WHEREAS, the average County taxable value for these households for tax year 2020 was $47,941.00; and
WHEREAS, using the common 2 percent rule-of-thumb to determine property taxes from a property�s assessed value, the average property tax bill for these households receiving the senior exemption was approximately $950.00 for tax year 2020; and
WHEREAS, as part of the County�s Fiscal Year 2010-11 adopted countywide budget (the �budget�), the Board approved the establishment of the Save Our Seniors Homeowners� Relief Fund in an amount not to exceed $5 million to be funded from general fund revenues; and
WHEREAS, under the Save Our Seniors Homeowners� Relief Fund, seniors who receive the senior exemption from property taxes are eligible to receive a grant in the amount of $100.00 per household, which may be used to offset the cost of County services; and
WHEREAS, the Save Our Seniors Homeowners� Relief Fund continues to provide yearly relief payments of $100.00 to the households receiving the senior exemption; and
WHEREAS, this Board recognizes that the County�s senior population is particularly vulnerable to the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes to investigate the feasibility of increasing the amount of the yearly payments made from the Save Our Seniors Homeowners� Relief Fund to relieve some of the financial burdens faced by the County�s low-income senior citizen population,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are incorporated into this resolution and are approved.
Section 2. This Board directs the County Mayor or the County Mayor�s designee to examine the feasibility of increasing the amount of the yearly grants provided by the Save Our Seniors Homeowners� Relief Fund.
Section 3. This Board directs the County Mayor or the County Mayor's designee to prepare a report to the Board regarding the directive set forth in section 2 of this resolution, and to place the completed report on an agenda of this Board pursuant to Ordinance No. 14-65 within 60 days of the effective date of this resolution.