[Adopted 8-10-2017 by L.L. No. 2-2017]
This article is enacted pursuant to the authority conferred by New York State Real Property Tax Law § 485-n and shall be called the "Town of Caledonia Real Property Tax Exemptions for Improvements to Commercial or Residential Real Property." The Town of Caledonia is a municipality which qualifies for the exemptions provided in RPTL § 485-n pursuant to § 3 (g) of RPTL § 485-n.
It has been determined by the Town Board that it is in the best interest of the public health, safety, and welfare to encourage the investment in improvements in commercial or residential real properties. It will serve the public interest to allow for certain qualified real property tax exemptions in order to encourage investment in such improvements.
A. 
Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
APPLICANT
Any person obligated to pay real property taxes on real property for which an exemption from taxes under this article is sought.
BENEFIT AREA
The area within the Village of Caledonia to which an exemption established pursuant to this article applies.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION WORK
The modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement of commercial use property or the portion of mixed-use property to be used for commercial purposes.
COMMERCIAL PURPOSE OR USE
The buying, selling, or otherwise providing of goods or services, including hotel services, or other lawful business or commercial activities permitted upon mixed-use property.
COMMERCIAL USE PROPERTY
Real property on which will exist, after completion of commercial construction work, a building used for commercial purposes or use.
MIXED-USE PROPERTY
Real property on which will exist, after completion of residential construction work or a combination of residential construction work and commercial construction work, a building or structure used for both residential and commercial purposes.
MUNICIPALITY
The Town of Caledonia, which is located in a county having a population of not less than 65,390 and not more than 65,400 as determined by the federal decennial census for the year 2010.
RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION WORK
The creation, modernization, rehabilitation, expansion, or other improvement of dwelling units, other than dwelling units in a hotel, in the portion of mixed-use property to be used for residential purposes.
A. 
The Town of Caledonia hereby provides for the exemption of real property from taxation in a designated benefit area as provided in this article. The benefit area consists of the area within the Village of Caledonia.
B. 
The Supervisor, subject to the approval of the Town Board, shall appoint a Commercial/Mixed Use Incentive Board which shall be responsible for designating the benefit area to be exempt from taxation as provided in this article. The Commercial/Mixed Use Incentive Board shall consist of three members.
C. 
Duties of the Commercial/Mixed Use Incentive Board. The Commercial/Mixed Use Incentive Board shall present a plan to the Town Board concerning the various types of commercial and/or mixed use properties which may be granted an exemption pursuant to this article. In addition, such plan shall identify designated benefit areas, within which such exemption may be offered. In developing such plan the Commercial/Mixed Use Incentive Board shall consider the planning objectives of the Town of Caledonia and the necessity of the exemption to the attraction of commercial and mixed-use development as identified by the Town of Caledonia and the economic benefit to the area of providing exemptions to commercial and mixed-use properties. In instances where a municipality has previously designated a business district encompassing a defined area which was subject to public input and was approved by and received funding for economic development purposes from a state agency, the Town of Caledonia may utilize the defined boundaries of such previously defined area, or a combination of such boundaries subject to review by the Commercial/Mixed Use Incentive Board.
Upon the adoption of this article, the commercial use property or mixed-use property that was converted, created, modernized, rehabilitated, expanded or otherwise improved shall be exempt from taxation and special ad valorem levies as provided for in § 115-13 of this article.
A. 
For a period of twelve years following the approval of an application, the increase in assessed value of such property attributable to such conversion, creation, modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement shall be exempt as provided in Subsection A(1) of this section. Such exemption shall be computed with respect to the exemption base. The exemption base shall be determined for each year in which there is an increase in assessed value so attributable from that of the previous year's assessed value.
(1) 
The following shall determine the computation of the tax exemption:
Year of Exemption
Percentage of exemption
1 through 8
100% of exemption base
9
80% of exemption base
10
60% of exemption base
11
40% of exemption base
12
20% of exemption base
B. 
No such exemption shall be granted unless:
(1) 
Such conversion, creation, modernization, rehabilitation, expansion, or other improvement was commenced subsequent to the date on which this article took effect; and
(2) 
The cost of such conversion exceeds the sum of $10,000.
C. 
For the purposes of this article, the term "conversion, creation, modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement" shall not include ordinary maintenance and repairs.
D. 
No such exemption shall be granted concurrent with, or subsequent to, any other real property tax exemption granted to the same improvements to the real property, except, where during the period of a previous exemption, payments in lieu of taxes or other payments were made to the Town of Caledonia in an amount that would have been equal to, or greater than, the amount of real property taxes that would have been paid on such improvements had such property been granted an exemption pursuant to this article. In such case, an exemption shall be granted for a number of years equal to the twelve-year exemption granted pursuant to this article less the number of years the property would have been previously exempt from real property taxes.
Such exemption shall be granted only upon application by the owner of the real property on a form prescribed by the New York State Commission of Taxation and Finance. Such application shall be filed with the assessor of the municipality or county having the power to assess property for taxation on or before the appropriate taxable status date of such municipality or county.
If the assessor is satisfied that the applicant is entitled to an exemption pursuant to this article, he or she shall approve the application and such real property shall thereafter be exempt from taxation and special ad valorem levies, as proved in this article, commencing with the assessment roll prepared after the taxable status date referred to in this article. The assessed value of any exemption granted pursuant to this article shall be entered by the assessor on the assessment roll with the taxable property, with the amount of the exemption shown in a separate column.
This article shall become effective immediately and shall remain in effect so long as New York State Real Property Tax Law § 485-n remains in effect or for such longer period as may be otherwise be permitted by New York State law.