The citizen's group "Our Children. Our Future. Our Decision" said Tuesday that senior citizens and disabled residents who support renewing the St. Joseph School District operating levy will not see an increase in their taxes.

Group leaders also said there is both state and federal assistance available to help seniors and disabled residents with property tax costs.

"We are all facing tough financial times, and we understand that is especially difficult for seniors and the disabled living on fixed incomes," said Allison and Todd Stewart, the group's co-chairs, in a statement. "But it is important they realize that by voting to renew the levy, it will not cost them any more than they paid last year in taxes to support the school district."

The group listed services such as the state Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit Program, or Circuit Breaker program, which provides seniors and disabled homeowners with household incomes of less than $30,000 as an individual and $34,000 as a married couple with credits of up to $1,100 to offset property taxes.

The state Homestead Preservation Credit also provides senior citizen and disabled homeowners with a property tax credit for an amount equal to the excess of a 5 percent increase in real estate taxes in a reassessment year (odd-numbered years) or for the excess of a 2.5 percent increase in a non-reassessment year (even-numbered years). To qualify for the credit in 2009, applicants must have a federal adjusted gross income of less than $77,254

Mrs. Stewart said she targeted the senior population in her efforts because she comes in contact with many in her work as the facility musician for the Living Community of St. Joseph. Other members of the group target different demographics.

"I want to make sure they're not confused, that nobody is feeding them false information or that they have confused some of the points we've tried to get out there," Mrs. Stewart said.

She added that she also wanted the senior population to see the value in education for future generations and that the tax would not be an increase.

But Sandy Jacobs, a 67-year-old St. Joseph resident, said that while she could not speak for other seniors, being able to afford the tax was not the issue for her in not voting for the levy last April. The sunset clause was the issue.

"(The sunset clause) was the initial problem, but there's been problems since," Mrs. Jacobs said. "We've been very unhappy with the way the school board handled everything, but that's no reason to punish the school system by withholding our votes for the tax levy. We'll probably be OK with the levy with the clause attached to it."

Mrs. Jacobs said the Board of Education acted too hastily in closing schools and redistricting after the levy and bond issue failed in April. That didn't sit well with some people, she said.

"It was nothing but retaliation," Mrs. Jacobs said. "And they tried to make it sound like the public was the one who was doing all these dirty deeds to the kids in the district. We weren't voting against the kids. I don't think anybody in town would vote against our own kids."

Mrs. Jacobs said she believed that "Our Children. Our Future. Our Decision" helps take the heat off the school board, and that would help get the levy passed this time. "I think it will," she said.

For information on the Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit Program or the state Homestead Preservation Credit, call the Missouri Department of Revenue Customer Assistance Center at (816) 387-2230.