The St. Joseph County Council has voted in favor of the senior property tax deferral bill, 5-4.

The measure allows eligible homeowners to defer up to $500 of their property tax bill each year.

One program already in place is a county tax cap for homeowners 55 and older.

Under that plan, a property tax bill cannot increase by more than two percent over what was paid the prior year.

The program was originally available for three years and has been extended to a four-year plan.