Local Disabled Vets Earn Tax Exemptions

Vietnam War veteran Bob McMann is expecting a hefty check from Long Lake Township -- a full refund of his 2013 property taxes.
McMann is one of more than 500 veterans in Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Benzie counties who are eligible for property tax exemptions under a proposal signed into law on Nov. 12 by Gov. Rick Snyder.

The law calls for property tax exemptions for veterans who are honorably discharged and deemed 100 percent disabled as a result of military service. It applies only to primary residences (not second homes nor hunting cabins). Also eligible for the tax exemptions are the surviving unmarried spouses of qualified veterans.

McMann was severely wounded in the right arm and face in Vietnam while serving with the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry in 1967-68. “I served two years, three months and 29 days,” he recalls. “And I spent 18 months of it in the hospital.”

Because of his total disability, McMann should receive a refund of about $3,900 from Long Lake Township; he will also be exempted from paying property taxes in future years.

“It’s a simple process for the veterans to qualify,” says Chuck Lerchen, Director of Veterans Services for Grand Traverse, Benzie and Leelanau counties. “They need to call for an appointment to come in to my office on LaFranier Road. In 20-30 minutes, I’ll check their qualifications and issue a certificate of eligibility. They can take that to their taxing agency and be put on the exemption rolls.”

While there have been tax exemptions for disabled veterans for more than a century, the new law greatly expands who qualifies for the exemptions, Lerchen tells The Ticker.

“Under the old law, we had 11 veterans in Grand Traverse County qualify,” he says. “Now we anticipate about 400, plus another 30 to 40 in Leelanau County and 80 to 85 in Benzie County. We’ve been very busy qualifying 20 to 25 veterans a day.”

The clock is ticking for veterans to get their refunds of 2013 taxes. Townships have set filing deadlines that vets must meet. Dec. 10 is the deadline in East Bay, Garfield, Mayfield, Peninsula, Blair, Fife Lake, Long Lake, Union townships and the city of Traverse City. Dec. 11 is the final day for Acme and Whitewater township residents. Vets in Paradise Township face a Dec. 12 deadline.

Though the tax exemptions will benefit disabled veterans, Lerchen notes there will be a ripple effect experienced by those agencies funded by property tax revenues.

“Townships, counties, schools, BATA, NMC – any agency that relies on property tax revenues will be impacted,” says Lerchen, who plans to meet with government officials to discuss the impact on their revenues.

The law has been in the works for months and was unanimously passed by the Michigan House and Senate, then signed into law on Veterans Day.

“The governor views it as a special duty and responsibility to ensure that we’re connecting our veterans with education and employment opportunities as well as their veterans’ benefits and services,” Gov. Snyder Spokeswoman Sara Wurfel says.