Lisbon extends tax relief application deadline for older adults (original) (raw)
Lisbon Town Councilors, from left, Roger Bickford, Greg Garnett, Dale Crafts and resident Joe Costa talk Nov. 4, 2025, outside the Lisbon High School gym, where they were greeting residents arriving to vote. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)
Town Councilors voted unanimously Monday night to extend the deadline for applications for the Lisbon’s new Senior Tax Relief Program to April 15.
Councilors developed the program for residents 65 and older. Those eligible can get up to $1,000 off their property tax bills in the next fiscal year if they maintained a homestead in Lisbon for at least five consecutive years and receive the state’s Property Tax Fairness Credit, qualify for the state’s Homestead Exemption and have no tax liens.
As of Monday’s meeting, about 90 people have applied for the program, costing about $60,000, or 6 cents on the tax rate, according to council Chair Chris Camire. Not all of them are eligible for the full amount allowed.
The measure is just for this year, Camire said, but the deadline may change again as councilors learn how they can improve the program. The town is having difficulty getting the word out to all 388 residents eligible for the program.
Council Vice Chair Nicholas Craig suggested sending a flyer with the tax bills to eligible households or mailing them one.
Councilor Greg Garnett agreed. “Even if we did a postage stamp on it, I think it would be well worth getting them all involved if we can.”
For more information about the program call Program Coordinator Tina Taylor at 207-353-3000 ext. 108.
Kendra Caruso is the Auburn city reporter for the Sun Journal. After graduating from the University of Maine in 2019, she got her start in journalism at The Republican Journal in Belfast. She started working... More by Kendra Caruso