ShawneeDispatch.com

Senior citizens have just a little more than a week to apply for refunds for franchise taxes.

Shawnee offers refunds to senior citizens on the franchise tax charged on residential telephone bills. Telephone services are the only utility on which the city imposes a franchise fee. Rebates granted each year are for the previous year's telephone franchise fee.

In 2005, the city refunded at total of $8,482 in franchise fees from 2004, according to Vicki Charlesworth, assistant city manager/city clerk. She said the amount refunded per person varies depending on the services the citizen has. The average refund this year has been $11.42, and so far they have given refunds to 557 citizens.

Senior citizens who turned 62 on or before Jan. 1 of the year for which the refund is granted, 2005 in this case, are eligible for the rebate. Seniors also must have lived in the city from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of 2005.

Application for the refund must be made by April 30 at City Hall, 11110 Johnson Dr., in the City Clerk's Department. Along with the application, seniors should submit proof of their age and the portion of each monthly telephone bill from the rebate year that shows the "Special Municipal Charge," often on page 3.

Residents who did not save all their bills can apply for a partial rebate for those months for which they do have their bills if they can show proof of residency from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of the rebate year.

Residents who have questions about the franchise rebate should contact the Licensing Division at Shawnee City Hall, (913) 631-2500 extension 240. Refunds take approximately four to six weeks to process.