[Adopted 10-2-2017 by Ord. No. 1625]
The following words and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
ACTIVE VOLUNTEER
A volunteer for a volunteer fire company or nonprofit emergency medical service agency listed under § 187-42C who has complied with, and is certified under, the Volunteer Service Credit Program.
EARNED INCOME TAX
A tax on earned income and net profits levied under Chapter 3 of the Act of December 31, 1965 (P.L. 1257, No. 511), known as the "Local Tax Enabling Act."[1]
ELIGIBILITY PERIOD
The time frame when volunteers may earn credit under the Volunteer Service Credit Program.
EMERGENCY RESPONDER
A volunteer who responds to an emergency call with one of the entities listed under § 187-42C.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE CALL
Any emergency call to which a volunteer responds, including travel directly from and to a volunteer's home, place of business or other place where he/she shall have been when the call was received.
QUALIFIED REAL PROPERTY
A residential real property owned and occupied as the domicile of an active volunteer.
VOLUNTEER
A member of a volunteer fire company or a nonprofit emergency medical service agency.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 6924.101 et seq.
A. 
Establishment. The Borough of Dormont hereby establishes a Volunteer Service Credit Program. The goal of the program is to encourage membership and service in the community's volunteer fire companies and nonprofit emergency medical service agencies.
B. 
Program criteria. The Board shall establish the minimum annual criteria that must be met to qualify for credits under the program based on the following:
(1) 
The volunteer must respond to a minimum of 25% of emergency incidents.
(2) 
A minimum level of certification at the Firefighter 1 level accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard) or International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). A forty-percent participation level in department training and participation in formal training and drills for a volunteer.
(3) 
Involvement in other events or projects that aid the financial viability, emergency response or operational readiness of a volunteer fire company or a nonprofit emergency medical service agency.
(4) 
A minimum of two years served as a volunteer firefighter in the Borough of Dormont.
C. 
Eligible entities. The Volunteer Service Credit Program is available to residents of the Borough who are volunteers of the Dormont Fire Department and nonprofit emergency medical service agencies that provide service to the Borough of Dormont and meet the requirement of this article.
D. 
Eligibility period. A volunteer must meet the minimum criteria, set by resolution under this section, during the eligibility period to qualify for the tax credits established under § 187-43.
(1) 
For 2018, and each subsequent year thereafter, the eligibility period shall run from January 1 until December 31.
E. 
Recordkeeping. The Chief of the Dormont Fire Department and/or the supervisor of the nonprofit emergency medical service agency listed under § 187-42C shall keep specific records of each volunteer's activities in a service log to establish credits under the Volunteer Service Credit Program. Service logs shall be subject to review by the Borough of Dormont, the State Fire Commissioner and the State Auditor General. The chief or supervisor shall annually transmit to the Borough a notarized eligibility list of all volunteers that have met the minimum criteria for the Volunteer Service Credit Program. The notarized eligibility list shall be transmitted to the Borough no later than January 31 of each year. The chief or supervisor shall post the notarized eligibility list in an accessible area of the volunteer agency's facilities.
F. 
Application. Volunteers that have met the minimum criteria of the Volunteer Service Credit Program shall sign and submit an application for certification to their chief or supervisor. The chief or supervisor shall sign the application if the volunteer has met the minimum criteria of the Volunteer Service Credit Program and forward it to the Borough Manager. Applications shall not be accepted by the Borough after April 1 of each year.
G. 
Municipal review. The Borough Manager shall review the applications for credit under the Volunteer Service Credit Program and shall cross-reference them with the notarized eligibility list. The Borough Council of the Borough of Dormont shall approve all applicants that are on the notarized eligibility list. All applicants approved by the Borough Council of the Borough of Dormont shall be issued a tax credit certificate by the Borough Manager.
H. 
Official Tax Credit Register. The Borough shall keep an official Tax Credit Register of all active volunteers that were issued tax credit certificates. The Borough Manager shall issue updates, as needed, of the official Tax Credit Register to the following:
(1) 
Borough Council;
(2) 
Fire Chief, Dormont Fire Department;
(3) 
Supervisor of the nonprofit emergency medical services agency(ies);
(4) 
The Southwest Allegheny County Tax Collection District.
I. 
Injured volunteers.
(1) 
An emergency responder that is injured during an emergency response call may be eligible for future tax credits. The injury must have occurred while responding to, participating in, or returning from an emergency response call with one of the entities listed under § 187-42C.
(2) 
An injured emergency responder shall provide documentation from a licensed physician with the application required under § 187-42F stating that their injury prevents them from performing duties to qualify as an active volunteer. In such a case, the injured emergency responder shall be deemed an active volunteer for that tax year.
(3) 
An injured emergency responder shall annually submit the application required under § 187-42F, along with updated documentation from a licensed physician stating that the injury still exists and prevents them from qualifying as an active volunteer. The injured emergency responder shall again be deemed an active volunteer for that tax year. An injured emergency responder shall only be deemed an active volunteer for a maximum of five consecutive tax years.
A. 
Tax credit. Each active volunteer who has been certified under the Borough of Dormont Volunteer Service Credit Program shall be eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $300 of the earned income tax levied by the Borough. When an active volunteer's earned income tax liability is less than the amount of the tax credit, the tax credit shall equal the individual's tax liability.
B. 
Claim.
(1) 
An active volunteer with a tax credit certificate may file a claim for the tax credit on their township earned income tax liability, when filing a final return for the preceding calendar year with the tax officer for the Southwest Allegheny County Tax Collection District.
C. 
Rejection of tax credit claim.
(1) 
The tax officer shall reject a claim for a tax credit if the taxpayer is not on the official Tax Credit Register issued by the Borough Manager.
(2) 
If the tax officer rejects the claim, the taxpayer shall be notified, in writing, of the decision. The notice shall include the reasons for the rejection and provide the method of appealing the decision pursuant to § 187-45.
(3) 
Tax payers shall have 30 days to appeal the decision of the tax officer.
A. 
Tax credit. Each active volunteer who has been certified under the Borough of Dormont Volunteer Service Credit Program shall be eligible to receive a real property tax credit of 20% of the Borough tax liability on qualified real property. If the tax is paid in the penalty period, the tax credit shall only apply to the base tax year liability.
B. 
Claim.
(1) 
An active volunteer with a tax credit certificate may file a claim for the tax credit on their qualified real property tax liability for the Borough of Dormont's real estate tax levy. The tax credit shall be administered as a refund by the Borough Treasurer. An active volunteer shall file the following with the Borough Manager.
(a) 
A true and correct receipt from the Borough of Dormont Real Estate Tax Collector of the paid Borough real property taxes for the tax year which the claim is being filed.
(b) 
The tax credit certificate.
(c) 
Photo identification.
(d) 
Documentation that the tax paid was for qualified real property as defined in this article.
(2) 
If the active volunteer provides all documents required under this subsection, the Borough shall issue the tax refund to the active volunteer.
C. 
Rejection of the tax credit claim.
(1) 
The Borough Manager shall reject the claim for a Borough real property tax credit if the taxpayer fails to provide the documents required under Subsection B.
(2) 
If the Borough Manager rejects the claim, the taxpayer shall be notified, in writing, of the decision. The notice shall include the reasons for the rejection and provide the method of appealing the decision pursuant to § 187-45.
(3) 
Taxpayers shall have 30 days to appeal the decision of the Borough Manager.
A. 
Earned income tax credit appeals.
(1) 
Any taxpayer aggrieved by a decision under § 187-43 shall have a right to appeal said decision.
(2) 
A taxpayer shall have 30 days to appeal a decision or rejection of claim.
(3) 
All appeals of decisions under § 187-43 shall follow the provisions of the Act of May 5, 1998, P.L. 301, No. 50, known as the Local Taxpayers Bill of Rights.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 8421 et seq.
B. 
Real property tax credit appeals.
(1) 
Any taxpayer aggrieved by a decision under § 187-44 shall have a right to appeal said decision.
(2) 
A taxpayer shall have 30 days to appeal a decision or rejection of claim.
(3) 
All appeals under § 187-44 shall follow the provisions of 2 Pa.C.S.A. Chapter 5, Subchapter B (relating to practice and procedure of local agencies), and 2 Pa.C.S.A. Chapter 7, Subchapter B (relating to judicial review of local agency action), also known as the "Local Agency Law."
In the event that any provision, section, sentence, clause, or part of this article is held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect or impair any remaining provision, section, sentence, clause or part of the article, it being the intent of the Borough of Dormont that such remainder shall be and shall remain in full force and effect and for this purpose the provisions of this article are hereby declared to be severable.