"Ada County Assessor Rebecca Arnold on Thursday said she is looking into the circumstances surrounding the tax break on the home Allen shares with his partner in Meridian, after reading Bay Area media reports about Allen allegedly spending his work nights sleeping at the San Mateo County Sheriff's Millbrae station. Allen and his partner received a homestead exception which can reduce a property's taxable value beginning in 2024, according to Arnold."
"As of Jan. 1, 2025, a new Idaho state law requires anyone seeking such an exemption to supply a valid Idaho driver's license. Arnold said that Allen and his partner continued to have a California driver's license as of Oct. 29. An application for the exception, which was obtained by this news organization, shows a person named Sandra Allen, 40, applied in September 2024 to receive the exception for the house in Meridian, a suburb of Boise about 11 miles from the local airport."
"San Mateo County officials have raised alarms about the apparent 600-mile commute for Chief Allen between Idaho and the Bay Area, and whether the chief can adequately respond to emergencies in a timely manner. Millbrae officials say the sleeping quarters were discovered during a routine inspection by a building inspector, and that city leaders had no prior knowledge of the spartan, bare-walled rooms, which included small beds and a desk."
Ada County Assessor Rebecca Arnold opened an investigation into a homestead tax break on a Meridian home shared by Millbrae Police Chief Eamonn Allen and his partner after reading Bay Area reports about Allen sleeping at the Millbrae station. The homestead exception can reduce a property's taxable value by up to $125,000 beginning in 2024, but Arnold is uncertain how the exemption was granted. A new Idaho law requires a valid Idaho driver's license for the exemption as of Jan. 1, 2025, and Arnold said Allen and his partner still held California licenses as of Oct. 29. An application shows Sandra Allen applied in September 2024 after a June 2024 purchase for $960,000. San Mateo officials flagged concerns about a 600-mile commute and emergency response; Millbrae officials said sleeping quarters were found during an inspection and city leaders had no prior knowledge.
#homestead-tax-exemption #residency-verification #police-chief-commute #local-government-investigation
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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