[Adopted 6-6-1977 by Ord. No. 14-1977 (Ch. 18, Part 5, of
the 1989 Code)]
The Township of Robinson hereby establishes a method of reducing
the minimum sewage rental charges and minimum water usage charges
to aged and infirm citizens of the Township of Robinson under the
terms and provisions more specifically set forth hereinafter in this
article. Said reduction in the minimum sewage rental charges and minimum
water usage charges shall take the form of a rebate to eligible persons,
and the rebate shall be payable within 180 days after the close of
each calendar year.
[Amended 7-14-1986 by Ord. No. 4-1986; 7-13-1992 by Ord. No.
8-1992]
(Persons eligible for aid pursuant to the provisions of this
article.) To qualify for a rebate in the minimum sewage rental charge
and the minimum water usage charge (herein referred to as the "rebate"),
as more specifically set forth hereinafter, the following conditions
must be met:
A.
The total annual income received by the applicant, together with
the income received by the applicant's spouse while he or she
resided with the applicant in the home, must have been no more than
$12,000 during the previous calendar year.
[Amended 7-10-2006 by Ord. No. 10-2006]
B.
The applicant must have owned or occupied his or her home in the
Township of Robinson during the period for which the applicant is
claiming a rebate pursuant to the provisions of this article.
C.
The applicant or spouse (if living together) must be 65 years of
age or older as of the first day of any quarter in which the rebate
is claimed.
D.
If the applicant is a widow or widower during all or a part of the
quarter during which the rebate is claimed, the applicant must have
attained 55 years of age as of the first day of such quarter when
the rebate is claimed.
E.
The applicant must have been a permanently disabled person during
all or a part of the quarter for which the rebate is claimed, who
was unable to engage in any substantial, gainful activity by reason
of any medically determinable physical condition which can be expected
to continue indefinitely.
F.
The applicant will be ineligible to obtain a rebate if delinquent
real estate taxes exist for any real property owned by the applicant
within the Township of Robinson.
[Amended 7-10-2006 by Ord. No. 10-2006]
A person eligible for the rebate pursuant to the criteria set forth in §§ 218-20 and 218-21 shall receive a one-hundred-percent reduction in his or her minimum sewage rental charge and/or minimum water usage charge, the cost of which shall be borne by the Township of Robinson. The rebates provided for hereinabove shall apply only to the minimum rate for sewage rental charges and water usage charges and shall not apply to any charges to eligible persons for charges due to gallonage use in excess of the amount specified for a minimum quarterly rental.
Only one member of each household may file claim for a rebate,
and only one rebate shall be granted to each household.
A.
All persons desiring to apply for the rebate in the minimum sewage
rental charges and minimum water usage charges as set forth above
shall make application with the Treasurer of the Township on a form
prescribed by the Township of Robinson and shall accompany said form
with a completed and signed copy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Department of Revenue Property Tax or Rent Rebate Bureau, Form RPT.
1000, Rev. 1-77, or any subsequent equivalency of said form as shall
be prescribed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, together with all
attachments and documentations required for submission to the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania in connection with said form. The Township Treasurer
shall determine the eligibility of applicants for benefits pursuant
to the provisions of this article. The information contained on the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Form RPT. 1000, Rev. 1-77, together
with the Township application, shall be deemed sufficient proof to
determine eligibility; provided, however, that the Township Treasurer
may, in his discretion, require further proof of eligibility.
B.
Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Township Treasurer pertaining
to his eligibility may appeal said decision to the Board of Commissioners
of the Township of Robinson within 30 days of the decision of the
Township Treasurer.
[Amended 10-8-2007 by Ord. No. 4-2007]
In order to be eligible for benefits pursuant to the provision
or provisions of this article, an applicant shall, on or before the
30th day of April of the calendar year following the year in which
the rebate is claimed, submit his or her application to the Township
Treasurer in the form prescribed hereinabove.
After determining the eligibility of applicants pursuant to
the provisions hereinabove set forth, the Township Treasurer shall
notify said applicants of their eligibility for a rebate pursuant
to the provisions of this article and shall, on or before June 30
of the calendar year following the year in which the rebate is claimed,
make payment to the eligible person of the rebate upon satisfactory
proof that the eligible person has paid the minimum sewage rental
charge and the minimum water usage charge to the appropriate authorities.
In the event that such payment has not been made by the applicant,
the Township Treasurer shall make such payment directly to the applicable
authority and shall notify the applicant of the payment thereof.
A.
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
INCOME
PERMANENTLY DISABLED
WIDOW or WIDOWER
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
All income received by the applicant and his spouse while
residing in the property during the calendar year for which a rebate
and dividend are claimed.
[Amended 7-10-2006 by Ord. No. 10-2006]
All income from whatever source derived, including but not
limited to salaries, wages, bonuses, commissions, income from self-employment,
alimony, support money, cash public assistance and relief, the gross
amount of any pensions or annuities including 50% of railroad retirement
benefits and 50% of all benefits received under the Federal Social
Security Act (except Medicare benefits), all benefits received under
state unemployment insurance laws and veterans' disability payments,
all interest received from the federal or any state government or
any instrumentality or political subdivision thereof, realized capital
gains, rentals, workmen's benefits and proceeds (except the first
$5,000 of the total of death benefit payments), and gifts of cash
or property (other than transfers by gift between members of a household)
in excess of a total value of $300, but shall not include surplus
food or other relief in kind supplied by a governmental agency or
property tax or rent rebate or inflation dividend.
[Amended 7-10-2006 by Ord. No. 10-2006]
A person who is unable to engage in any substantially gainful
activity by reason of medically determinable physical impairment which
can be expected to continue indefinitely and who was entitled to receive
social security disability benefits during the preceding calendar
year or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), permanent and total disability
benefits, or Railroad Retirement Permanent and Total Disability Benefits,
or Black Lung Disability Benefits, or disability benefits under the
Welfare Aid to the Permanent and Totally Disabled Program, or total
disability benefits under the Veterans Administration Program or the
Federal Civil Service Program. A person who is not covered under any
of the disability programs mentioned above must submit a complete
medical report from his family physician.
The surviving spouse (who has not remarried during the period
for which a rebate is claimed) of a deceased individual. A person
whose most recent marriage was terminated by divorce does not qualify
as a widow or widower for purposes of this article.
B.
All items of any kind or nature whatsoever other than those previously
mentioned must be included, whether or not said items of income are
normally taxable for federal or Pennsylvania income tax purposes.
[Amended 8-14-1989 by Ord. No. 16-1989]
Any person making an excessive claim with fraudulent intent
or knowingly providing any false information in connection with an
application for benefits pursuant to the provisions of this article
shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not
more than $600 and costs or, in default of payment thereof, shall
be subject to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 30 days.
