Property Tax Credit for Long-time Homeowners and Retired Veterans

Good news, today we approved my bill to create a new property tax credit for residents who are at least 65 years old and who have lived in the same home for at least 40 years. The bill also provides a tax credit for residents 65 or older who are retired veterans of the U.S. military.

As introduced, Bill 42-16 would have created a new property tax credit for residents who are at least 65 years old and who have lived in the same home, with an assessed value of $500,000 or less, for at least 40 years. Retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard) who are at least 65 years old also are eligible for the credit if their home has an assessed value of $500,000 or less.

However, the approved bill included an amendment that increases the maximum assessed value for eligibility for 40-year homeowners to $650,000.

Residents who qualify are eligible to receive a 20-percent credit for the property tax imposed on their homes. The credit would be granted annually for up to five years, subject to application requirements.

We want to do whatever we can to encourage people who love living in Montgomery County to continue to be able to live here as their life circumstances change. We understand that this can be an expensive place to live for many people at the prime of their earning power, and it gets more challenging for those in retirement years. With this bill, we can offer some help to people who have lived here a long time and helped build this County and to those who served our country and helped preserve and protect all the things for which we are thankful.

The bill will go into effect on July 1, 2017. Those seeking a credit must apply by April 1 of the year in which the tax credit is sought. However, for 2017 only, the deadline was extended to September 1. I'll let you know when the application process has been finalized.

Properly Retire Your American Flag

Here's your chance to properly retire your American flag. The County is co-sponsoring the efforts of Chapter 641 of the Vietnam Veterans of America to collect American flags which are no longer usable. Just deposit your flag in the large wooden box in the EOB Lobby (101 Monroe Street, Rockville), and the Chapter will conduct a ceremonial American flag disposal on Flag Day, June 14, from 11am-3pm at Battery Cycles, 7830 Airpark Road, Gaithersburg. The ceremony is open to the public, so feel free to stop by.

County Cable to Show Marathon Tribute to Veterans

Tune in to Montgomery County’s public cable television stations on Sunday, Nov. 11, and Monday, Nov. 12, for a 13-hour marathon tribute to veterans. The tribute will include the first-ever broadcast of extended interviews with 14 local veterans from World War II.

County Cable Montgomery (Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon) will begin broadcasting the tribute each day at 9:30 a.m. and continue to 10:30 p.m. each day. The marathon is a cooperative production of the County’s PEG (Public-Education-Government) organization of public cable television stations.

The marathon will open with the rebroadcast of the Sept. 19 event in Silver Spring in which Montgomery County saluted area World War II veterans. Montgomery County Honors World War II Veterans, which was hosted by TV news legend Ted Koppel, had more than 175 World War II veterans and more than 500 people overall, in attendance. The veterans attending ranged in age from 86 to 105 and had experiences from some of the most historic events of the past century. It is believed to have been the biggest Washington area tribute to World War II veterans since the National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, D.C., in 2004.

The broadcast will continue at 11:20 a.m. each day with the series of interviews with World War II veterans. The tribute will conclude with a contrast of generations as Montgomery College student Alex Cole interviews veteran Dee Paris, 97, whose World War II experiences included being a tank commander in the Battle of the Bulge.

Here is the programming schedule for the marathon tribute to veterans for both Nov. 11 and 12:

9:30 a.m. Montgomery County Honors WWII Veterans
11:20 a.m. Interview: Sam Einbinder
11:30 a.m. Interview: Seymour Steinberg
12 noon Interview: Charles McGee
12:45 p.m. Interview: Paul Forbes
1 p.m. Interview: Norman Ikari
1:35 p.m. Interview: Boris Osherhoff
2 p.m. Interview: Pierre Causa
2:40 p.m. Interview: Edwin Morgenstern
6 p.m. Interview: Albert Frumkin
6:30 p.m. Interview: William Iwanicki
7 p.m. Interview: Dee Paris
8 p.m. Interview: Don McKee
8:30 p.m. Interview: John Henry Chaney
9 p.m. Interview: Milton Eisen
10 p.m. Montgomery College Student Alex Cole interviews Dee Paris

See Video of World War II Veterans Event

I was so impressed with yesterday’s Montgomery Honors World War II Veterans, emceed by Ted Koppel. More than 150 local veterans attended the event, and many shared fascinating stories about their experience. If you couldn't catch the tribute live yesterday, you can see the video on CCM’s website.

More Than 150 WWII Vets to be Honored Wednesday

Boris Osheroff graduated with honors in chemistry from St. John’s Pharmacy School. When he entered the U.S. Army in 1943, he did not understand why a screening left him assigned to a group in New York City that hardly seemed like a military mission. It turned out he was selected to work on the Manhattan Project, and for much of the war, he was part of the team that developed the first atom bomb.

Mr. Osheroff, who is 90 and has lived in Silver Spring since 1956, will be among more than 150 Montgomery County-area World War II veterans who will be honored at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Montgomery County Honors World War II Veterans. The event is believed to be the biggest Washington area tribute to World War II veterans since the opening of the National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, D.C., in 2004.

Ted Koppel, who for 25 years hosted the ABC News show Nightline, will be the event’s host and one of the speakers. The event will be simulcast live on many of the County’s public cable television channels that compose the PEG (Public, Education, Government) Network, including County Cable Montgomery, Montgomery Community Media, Montgomery College Television, Montgomery County Public Schools TV and Rockville 11.

Among those who will be attending is Alyce Dixon, who turned 105 on Sept. 11. The still active Ms. Dixon was one of the first employees at the Pentagon from 1940-43, working as a civilian. She entered the Army in 1943 and became one of the first women to join the military as a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).

Also attending will be George Boggess, 100, who served in Europe with General George Patton’s Third Army. He was in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded. Among his military awards were the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. His post-war life included serving with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on three Civil Rights campaigns, including the famed march from Selma to Montgomery.

World War II veterans who have committed to attend the event have been involved in some of the best known aspects of the war, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the Battle of Bulge, the Battle for the Remagen Bridge over the Rhine River, the Battle for Iwo Jima and the Battle of the Coral Sea. One veteran served on a destroyer that sank more enemy submarines than any other. Veterans who served in segregated units of all black soldiers and all Japanese-American soldiers also will be attending, as will veterans who played key roles in military intelligence and counter intelligence.

County to Honor World War II Veterans

One day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Dee Paris went to enlist in the U.S. Army. His military career took him through some of the most famous battles of World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of the Rhine River. On Wednesday, September 19, at the Silver Spring Civic Building, Mr. Paris, who is 97 and lives in Silver Spring, will be among the speakers as Montgomery County honors the men and women who served their nation in World War II. Ted Koppel, who for 25 years hosted the ABC News show Nightline, will be the host. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 at the Civic Building in Silver Spring. The event is open to the public and will be simulcast live on many of the County’s public cable television channels.

Montgomery Honors WW II Vets

Mark your calendar for September 19 for Montgomery Honors WW II Vets beginning at 10:30 at the Civic Building in Silver Spring. The event will be simulcast live on many of the County’s public cable television channels.

Among the significant World War II events of 1942 were the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4, 1942) and the Battle of Midway (June 4, 1942). Many historians view those two battles as the turning point of the war in the Pacific. U.S. troops landed on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands on Aug. 7, 1942. In November 1942, U.S. and British troops invaded French North Africa.

Montgomery Honors WW II Vets event organizers are currently seeking to contact more of the veterans who will be honored on Sept. 19. Those veterans, or family and friends of the veterans, seeking more information about the event should call 240-777-7929.

Speakers at the event will include veterans who served in various aspects of World War II.

Seeking World War II Veterans

Are you a veteran of World War II, or do you know someone who is? Montgomery County will honor these important men and women at an event on September 19 at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Event organizers are currently seeking to contact veterans, so please call 240-777-7929 if you or someone you know served in WW II.

Find Out About Veterans' Services

Our Commission on Veterans Affairs invites active duty military personnel, guard members, reservists, veterans and family members to a free resource fair on Saturday, November 5, 11:00-4:00 at White Flint Mall. More than two dozen organizations will be on-site to provide information and resources about veterans' service organizations; non-profit organizations serving military veterans and their families; and federal, state and local government agencies providing services. For more information, call 240-777-1724.