Last night Danville City Council approved an ordinance entitled real estate and mobile home tax exemption and deferral for certain elderly and disabled persons,” of Chapter 37, entitled “Taxation,” of the Danville City Code to allow for revisions to the real estate exemption and deferral program.

“I want to thank council and staff and everyone for the last couple of years we’ve worked on this. Two years ago if your income was more than $20,000 as a senior citizen you didn’t qualify for this and so we said we wanted to try to raise it up to 40 and so two years ago we went from 20 to 30 and then last year 30 to 35 and then finally this year we’re finally closing that gap and getting it up to $40,000. With this I think a lot more of our senior citizens and the permanently disabled are going to be able to get tax relief on their real estate tax,” said Councilman Lee Vogler.

The City Council also voted to decrease the personal property tax and the real estate tax. The personal property tax will go from $3.60 per $100 of assessed value to $3.45. The decrease will go into effect on January 1.

The real estate tax will decrease from $0.84 on every $100 to $0.83 effective July 1.

City council also voted 4-4 against a rate increase that included an increase in short-term rental fees, as well as increases in sanitation and cemetery fees. 

Later in the meeting, City Council voted to approve a Comprehensive Agreement between the School Board of the City of Danville and Branch Builds, Inc. for the design and construction of a 23,600 square foot addition to the currently under construction Arnett Hills Elementary School to allow for an increase in the student population of the completed Project from 580 to 900 students.