CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -New Hampshire lawmakers are considering a plan that would give many homeowners older than 65 a property tax rebate.

Senate Minority Leader Ted Gatsas is proposing the state spend about $31 million next year. His plan has won the support of other top Republicans, who, like Gatsas, say seniors are overburdened by property taxes.

Gatsas says rising property taxes are making it more and more difficult for people to hold onto their homes.

The program would replace current tax breaks, which allow communities to exempt a portion of a senior’s property value from their tax assessment. Gatsas’s plan would allow communities to provide cash rebates to qualified seniors and bill the state for reimbursement.

—

Information from: Concord Monitor, http://www.cmonitor.com

AP-ES-03-07-07 1418EST