Seniors eligible to apply for rebate

More Carson City senior citizens may be eligible for the city's sewer rebate program.

Seniors with low incomes are eligible to apply for the program. The city will be increasing the income level so more seniors can qualify, said utility billing clerk Sheila Gallegos.

With the raised income level, seniors making up to $12,700 a year are eligible for a 90 percent rebate of sewer fees.

Seniors making between $19,100 and $21,500 will be eligible for a 10 percent fee rebate. An income level of $8,000 was required last year for the 90 percent rebated and topped out at $19,100 for the 10 percent rebate.

Sewer rebates generally aren't large, Gallegos said.

"It's usually not much, but I know it can help," she said. "Maybe they use it for a little bit of mad money or something."

The city refunded $6,700 dollars to 153 seniors last year, an average of about $43. The numbers were down from $7,400 to 166 seniors in 1997, Gallegos said. Fewer people qualifying for the rebate prompted the city to raise income levels, she said.

On Thursday, Carson supervisors approved the income level increase.

The sewer rebate is part of the state's property tax or rent rebate program administered by Carson City through the assessor's office. Senior account clerk Dianna Fusano said seniors must be 62 years old on or before June 30, 1999, to qualify for the 1999 rebate. Other qualifications include:

-- Seniors must be renters or homeowners.

-- Total gross income can't be more than $21,800.

-- Must have lived in or paid rent or property taxes in Nevada from July 1, 1999.

Applications for the 1999 rebate are accepted between Feb. 1 and April 15.