Officials extend elderly tax credit

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NAUGATUCK — The Joint Boards of Mayor and Burgesses and Board of Finance voted last week 10 to six to continue the elderly tax credit for another year.

The program gives qualifying residents who volunteer at least 50 hours to community programs like the schools or library up to $500 in tax credits.

Although the $9,000 budget line item for the 18 participants costs the borough relatively little, Board of Finance member Dan Sheridan felt the senior welfare program has no right being in a town budget.

He said he’d rather spend the money on a part-time clerk in the tax collector’s office.

In the past, the joint boards have only discussed the program during budget deliberations, when it is too late to cancel.

“You have to vote for it because we’ve already spent the money,” Burgess Rocky Vitale said. “I think we need to discontinue any expenditure that’s not absolutely necessary.”