“Seniors deserve stability,” Whitmer says as she pitches property tax relief plan for Michigan seniors
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing a new package of tax relief aimed at seniors and working families, including a property tax refund program that her office says would save eligible older residents an average of about $345 a year.
Whitmer previewed the proposal in a Feb. 8 post on X, saying rising property taxes have made it harder for seniors to keep up. She linked to a Detroit Free Press report describing a roughly $90 million plan that would be included in her upcoming budget presentation.
With property taxes going up year after year, Michigan seniors deserve stability. They’ve worked hard and earned the right to relief in their golden years. https://t.co/8lZqLjp86A
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) February 8, 2026
In a second post, Whitmer said the plan would cover about 355,000 seniors and would work by refunding approximately 10% of their property taxes.
The proposal is part of what Whitmer’s administration is calling a “Saving Michiganders Money Plan,” a set of initiatives expected to be highlighted in her fiscal year 2027 executive budget. A state budget address is scheduled later this week.
I’m proposing property tax relief for 355,000 seniors, saving households an average of $345 a year by refunding approximately 10% of their property taxes. That's money back in their pockets to pay bills and put food on the table.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) February 8, 2026
Local reporting on the announcement described a broader package beyond the senior property tax refund. Whitmer’s plan also includes items such as continuing an expanded Working Families Tax Credit, completing the rollback of Michigan’s retirement tax, and ending state taxes on Social Security, according to WILX-TV’s summary of the proposal.
The administration has framed the property tax refund as a response to rising housing costs and a way to help seniors remain in their homes. Bloomberg Tax, reporting on the early budget details, described a senior property tax refund program and a separate back-to-school sales tax holiday proposal as part of Whitmer’s budget messaging.
Details that typically determine who qualifies — such as income thresholds, whether the refund is limited to homesteads, and how it would interact with existing credits — are expected to be clarified as the budget is released and moves through the Legislature.
Michigan already has a homestead property tax credit structure in state law that is based on income and property taxes, but Whitmer’s proposal appears aimed at creating an additional or expanded refund mechanism targeted specifically at seniors.
Whitmer, a Democrat in her final term, will need legislative approval to enact any new tax refund or credit. Her budget proposals also come as lawmakers weigh competing priorities, including school funding, infrastructure, and other cost-of-living measures that have been central to state politics in recent years.
