SEAL BEACH
The City Council voted to grant utility tax exemptions to senior citizens with low incomes.
The council voted 4 to 1 Monday to approve the tax exemptions for residents over 65 years old and with household incomes of $33,132 or less.
Mayor Paul Yost cast the dissenting vote.
More than 1,500 residents applied for the exemption, which will cost the city about $150,000 in lost revenue, said Councilman Shawn Boyd.
“The exemption is a big deal for a lot of people on fixed income,” Boyd said. No more than 5,000 people in the city qualify for the exemption, and not every resident who qualifies is expected to apply, the councilman said.
Utility taxes are the city’s largest source of revenue. But with an annual budget of $29 million, the city can afford the exemption, Boyd said.
“It’s about doing the right thing,” he said.
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