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Emanuel eyes senior discount, more meters to soften tax hit

Senior citizens would be in line for a 50 percent discount - and more homes without water meters could get them - to soften the blow of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to slap a 30 percent tax on water and sewer bills to save the largest of Chicago's four city employee pension funds.

Last year, a first-ever garbage collection fee of $9.50 a month emerged as the biggest point of contention in Emanuel's tax-laden 2016 budget - even more so than a $588 million property tax increase for police and fire pensions and school construction.

To ease the burden on those living on fixed incomes, Emanuel agreed to give senior citizens a 50 percent discount.

Now the mayor is planning to offer seniors a 50 percent discount to ease the burden of the 30 percent tax he wants to add to the "unified utility bill" that includes water, sewer and garbage fees, City Hall sources said.

Already, 66,000 seniors who have a water meter and receive a separate sewer bill are eligible for a sewer exemption.

Under the mayor's plan, those same seniors would be exempt from paying the 30 percent tax on the sewer portion of their bill. Sewer fees currently amount to 100 percent of water fees, or $3.81 for every 1,000 gallons.

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