Kaua'i County is asking its senior citizens if they'd be interested in working off their property tax bills.

The proposal envisions seniors working for 100 hours or so per year at minimum wage, with the earnings credited toward their property tax obligations.

The idea came from Kilauea resident Donna Schulze, 82, an active community volunteer, who said she saw a television program about a similar program in Milton, Mass.

"This is something that grabbed at me. I said, 'This is for Kaua'i,' " she said. "We have a lot of people who are low income who have a hard time paying their property taxes, and our property taxes are high."

Schulze, who said she lives very frugally with husband George, 84, on an annual income of $17,000, called Milton officials to get more information and then pitched the idea to Kaua'i Mayor Bryan Baptiste and other county leaders.

They asked her to pursue the program and to match participants with jobs if it goes forward. She said she agreed to do it but only as a volunteer.

The county mailed surveys to more than 400 elderly property owners to gauge their interest in working to offset their property tax bills.

The deadline to respond to the survey is Oct. 20.

Kealoha Takahashi, executive for the county's Agency on Elderly Affairs, said she's gotten some initial feedback from older folks who were a little hesitant to go back to work, even if it meant a smaller tax bill.

Baptiste said that if the surveys show there is interest in the idea, the county will develop a program similar to the one in Milton.

The Milton program allows elderly residents in the town of 27,000 to work for the local government for a set number of hours in exchange for a $500 property tax exemption.

Kevin Sorgi, the treasurer and tax collector for Milton, said about 20 people have signed up for the program, many performing clerical duties, working as receptionists or using skills they acquired during their careers.

One participant reorganized the tax office's records system, Sorgi said.

"A lot of times it's something we just don't have time to get to," he said.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.