DeKalb city leaders freeze ad valorem taxes for seniors

By Kenny Mitchell

kenny@westbowiepost.com

At his month’s regular meeting the DeKalb City Council approved a measure that will impact many residents within the city limits when they unanimously passed a new ordinance that freezes ad valorem taxes for residents 65 years of age and older.

The ordinance reads: Whereas, the City Council of the City of DeKalb finds that residents who are sixty five (65) years of age and older own residential homesteads in the City of DeKalb, Texas, and face increasing ad valorem taxes, often on a fixed income, and that it is in the public interest and beneficial to the senior citizens of the City of DeKalb to freeze their ad valorem taxes  Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of DeKalb, A person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older shall receive a residence homestead exemption prescribed or authorized by state law. The total amount of ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older shall not be increased while it remains the residence homestead of that person and that person's spouse. If the person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older dies in a year in which the person received a residence homestead exemption, the total amount of ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homestead shall not be increased while it remains the residence homestead of that person's surviving spouse if the spouse is 55 years of age or older at the time of the person's death.”

DeKalb Mayor Lowell Walker told the West Bowie Post, “The elderly are the most vulnerable of our society and with inflation, the price of fuel, food, utilities, and healthcare, every dollar counts in their budget and this is just a small way to help them improve their quality of life and help them struggle less.”

Mayor Pro Tem David Meadows added, “It’s just something we felt like was right to do. We kicked it around several years ago, and didn’t get it done, so I am glad we got it done now.”

This exemption shall take effect for the 2026 tax year and each tax year thereafter, until modified or repealed by subsequent action of the City Council. The ordinance takes effect immediately following its unanimous passing at the meeting Tuesday night.