Avon Township Helps Seniors and Veterans With Property Taxes

Avon Township Supervisor Sam Yingling announced the launch of a pilot program to provide property tax relief to senior citizens and military veterans. The Senior and Veteran Tax Assistance Program (SVTAP) will help seniors and veterans who are having difficulty paying their property taxes.

“The decline in home values has disproportionately affected seniors and veterans, many of whom are on fixed incomes,” said Yingling. “When first installment property tax bills were due, I kept hearing from folks who simply didn’t have the money.  Many of the hardest hit have lived here for decades and many have risked their lives for our freedom. I can’t sit on the sidelines, we need to take action.”

SVTAP will be funded by the Avon Township Community Foundation, using voluntary pay returns that were given back to the Township by Yingling and other elected officials. 

Yingling, a proponent for property tax reform, has reduced Avon Township’s levies by over 20 percent, according to a news release. He also cut spending while expanding the services offered by the Township, specifically the food pantry.

“Lake County has the highest taxes in the Midwest and the sixteenth highest in the Country. Many of the affected veterans and seniors own their homes outright, it’s the taxes that are forcing them to sell or risk foreclosure. I have heard too many stories of people having to choose between paying for food and medication or their tax bills,” Yingling said. 

Low-income veterans and seniors will be helped on an “as needed” basis pursuant to funding availability. Avon Township will pay a portion of the taxes of the hardest hit, not the entire amount. The household income guidelines are based on the standards set by the Illinois Department of Human Services and recipients must be residents of Avon Township. 

For more details, contact the Avon Township Supervisor’s Office at 847-546-1446.

- Submitted by the Avon Township Supervisor's Office.