Some Florida veterans wounded in combat get discounts on their property taxes. And now voters will decide in November if their spouses can keep that benefit if the veteran dies. WUSF's Stephanie Colombini explains the ballot initiative known as Amendment 6.
The proposal expands on an amendment that gives a property tax discount to veterans 65 and older, but unintentionally left their families behind. If it passes, spouses will be able to keep the exemption if they hold a title to the home and permanently live there. They would also be able to transfer the discount to a new property in some cases. Polk County state Representative Sam Killebrew is pushing for the amendment. He says another lawmaker told him his aunt experienced this problem after her husband died. "She got her tax bill and it was like 500 dollars more than it normally was, and of course, lot of folks on fixed incomes - she didn't have the money, so family had to chip in and whatever - and so he said, I can tell you this will be good." Voters will make the final call on November 3rd.
