Freeze Play Once state officials sort out the details, low-income seniors may see a property tax break. By Jim Nintzel Related Stories This Issue: Prop and Circumstance Healthy Prognosis Proposition Campaign Spending ARIZONA'S LOW-INCOME seniors got a property tax break with the passage of Prop 104, a successful referendum on last November's ballot that freezes residential property values for eligible homeowners. State and county officials are still hammering out the details of the new law. According to Pima County Assessor Rick Lyons, there's confusion about the income standards. Single seniors 65 and older qualify if they earn less than four times the Social Security qualifying rate, which comes out to $25,440 in gross income, including Social Security benefits. But for couples, the picture is more muddled: The state Department of Revenue has issued a guideline interpreting the cut-off at $47,730, while other officials maintain it should be roughly $31,000. There's additional confusion about the deadline for applying for the program. It's too late to do anything about 2001 property values, which were computed last year. To freeze your home's value before it increases in 2002, you need to apply with Lyons' office. But officials are still trying to determine if the deadline is March 1, which is the deadline for filing exemptions, or April 15, when income tax returns are filed. (In any case, if you manage to successfully apply for a freeze in your property value, it remains in place for three years before you need to apply again.) "Things like that have to be resolved," says Lyons, whose office has had a few dozen inquiries about the new program. To request an application form, contact the County Assessor's exemption section at 740-8238. RECENTLY: Don't Look at Me Different - A new book by Tucson's teenagers documents life in the city's projects. - Margaret Regan (January 11, 2001) Banking on Optics Valley - The Old Pueblo has high hopes for high tech, but little time. - D.A. Barber (January 4, 2001) Wretched Recall - An explosive look at Y2K's dubious achievements. - Leo W. Banks, Tom Danehy and Jim Nintzel (December 28, 2000) more... ALSO BY JIM NINTZEL: Backlogged Labs - Victims hold their breath while crime labs drown in DNA samples. (December 21, 2000) Monetary Mirage - Is the federal surplus evaporating? (December 7, 2000) The Big Chill - A local ice cream parlor fights a cold-hearted corporation. (November 30, 2000) more...

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