Heath says his senior tax break was 'conflict of law'

Royce Heath ... says issue should be put to rest

LEBANON - Lebanon Selectman Royce Heath, who at a Candidates Night Forum days before he was elected told residents his first order of business would be trying to implement a property tax break for senior citizens, admitted on Monday that shortly after assuming office he learned his proposal was “a conflict of law.”

“I didn’t know about it when I ran,” said Heath, adding that he thought the issue should be put to rest now, because “There’s a lot more important things going on.”

Heath during his successful run for selectman included the senior tax break in his campaign literature.

When asked by The Lebanon Voice during the Candidates Night Forum what would be the first project he’d like to advance if elected, he said it would be to cut by half the property taxes paid by any Lebanon resident who was 70 or over and had lived in town for the past 20 years.

Selectmen Chairman Ben Thompson had no comment on Monday except to add that the town “assesses property, not people.”

To view a video of the forum in its entirety go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl07Smzrbqw&feature=youtu.be.

Heath’s discussion of his former plan begins at the 24:50 mark of the tape.