Proposition 130: Voters approve property tax exemptions for disabled vets
Juliette Rihl
Voters have approved Proposition 130, meaning property tax exemptions will be restored for veterans with disabilities in the state, according to the Associated Press.
Property tax exemptions reduce the assessed value of a person’s real estate, thereby decreasing the property taxes they owe. The amount of savings depends on several factors, such as where the person lives, their annual income and how much their property is worth.
Proposition 130 allows property tax exemptions for veterans with disabilities, people with total and permanent disabilities, widows and widowers, regardless of when they became Arizona residents. Only one exemption will be allowed per person.
The state Constitution already includes exemptions for each of these groups. But in 1989, the Arizona Court of Appeals held that the veteran exemption was unconstitutional because it only applied to veterans who were Arizona residents before entering the armed services.
Veterans with disabilities have not been able to receive property tax exemptions in the three decades since.
There are more than 110,000 veterans with partial disabilities in Arizona, according to the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services. The exemption will apply to veterans with disabilities whether or not a disability is related to military service.
“I think most Americans would say that veterans have sacrificed their personal lives for the freedom of our country, and I think Americans would say that we want to honor their service to their country,” Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook said in support of the measure.
Proposition 130:What Arizona voters need to know
In addition to restoring the property tax exemption for veterans with disabilities, Proposition 130 will protect the exemption for widows, widowers and people with total and permanent disabilities from being challenged in court in the future.
It will also give the Legislature the power to determine the amount of the property tax exemptions as needed, rather than having the amounts codified in the Constitution, which would require a referendum to change.
The Secretary of State’s Office received no arguments against the proposition.
Juliette Rihl covers housing insecurity and homelessness for The Arizona Republic.
Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.