Topeka ? About 900 Kansas senior citizens per year could defer paying their property taxes under a proposal that was discussed Wednesday.

The measure – House Bill 2928 – is aimed at helping elderly Kansans on fixed incomes who face an unanticipated financial hardship, said state Rep. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City.

“It is imperative that we do everything within our powers to avoid having Kansas seniors literally taxed out of their homes,” said Holland, who has been working on the measure for several years.

The legislation was supported by Douglas County Treasurer Paula Gilchrist and Douglas County Director of Taxation and Accounting Stacy Kurtz.

“We find that many (senior citizens) go without medicine, food and their basic needs in order to pay real estate taxes and stay in their homes,” Gilchrist and Kurtz stated in written testimony to the House Tax Committee.

Under the bill, homeowners 65 or older with a household income of less than $60,000 per year could apply for a tax deferment from the Kansas Department of Revenue. They would have to live in the house and not receive any income from the property.

If the person qualifies, the state would pay a portion or all of the tax bill. When the person died or sold their home, then the state would recover its taxes from the estate.

Holland said the Revenue Department has estimated that approximately 900 people would qualify each year with an average property tax bill of $1,200 each. An individual tax deferment could not accumulate to more than 50 percent of the value of the home.

In the event of a death, the deferment of taxes could continue for the surviving spouse under certain conditions.

The measure was supported by AARP Kansas and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County.

Several committee members asked if the bill would supplant private lenders from offering reverse mortgages to seniors.

George Lippincott, an AARP volunteer, said Kansans shouldn’t be forced “to expend significant resources to address an unexpected and sudden government imposed tax increase to enhance the bottom line of commercial entities.”

The committee took no action on the bill but indicated it would continue to consider the legislation.