Assemblywomen Joan Voss and Connie Wagner will visit Bergen County senior centers this week to help eligible senior citizens through the application process for the Senior Property Tax Freeze Program. The legislators also urged homeowners to apply for the Homestead Rebate program.

The deadline for residents to apply for both programs was recently extended to November 2, 2009.

Voss and Wagner will visit the Elmwood Park Senior Center on Market Street and Boulevard in Elmwood Park Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 11:30 am. They also will visit the Cliffside Park Senior Center at 8 Caldwell Avenue in Cliffside Park on Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 11:30 am.

“Property taxes continue to be among the top concerns for New Jersey homeowners. We need to ensure that every eligible homeowner applies for rebate programs that are in place to provide a level of relief,” said Voss (D-Fort Lee). “Our main priority as public servants is to provide assistance and access to public programs for our constituents. We hope to provide information to residents through these visits and ease the application process so homeowners can obtain the aid they need.”

“In this economy, every dollar counts. The Senior Freeze and Homestead Rebate programs provide critical dollars for homeowners trying to make ends meet this year. Our job is to fight for funding for these programs in Trenton and make sure that our residents back home know how to access them,“ said Wagner (D-Paramus).

Under the “Senior Freeze” program, the homeowner’s property taxes are frozen at the rate the year in which they apply. The state will pay the difference in their property tax bill to ensure that property tax increases do not eat further into their incomes. This year, “Senior Freeze” checks will be a record high average of $1,132. Approximately half of the Fiscal Year 2010 State Budget is dedicated to property tax relief.

The amount of a Homestead Rebate application is determined by a homeowner’s or tenant’s income, amount of property taxes paid, and age of the applicant.

Residents who are unable to attend these events should contact Assemblywoman Voss’s district office at (201) 346-6400 or Assemblywoman Wagner’s district office at (201) 576-9199. Applications also can be found on the Division of Taxation’s website at www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation.
Assemblywomen Voss and Wagner represent the 38th Legislative District which includes parts of Bergen County.