[Adopted 5-2-2001 (Ord. No 79); amended in its entirety 9-6-2017]
In recognition of the benefits provided to the Town of Newtown
by the dedicated service of the Town's volunteer fire, ambulance and
underwater search and rescue personnel, the Newtown Legislative Council
hereby establishes a property tax abatement program pursuant to Connecticut
General Statutes § 12-81w for volunteer fire, ambulance
and underwater search and rescue personnel on the conditions outlined
below.
[Amended 5-19-2021]
Members of the Newtown Volunteer Fire Departments, Ambulance
Corps and Newtown Underwater Search and Rescue (NUSAR), with at least
two years' good standing, who reside in and pay property tax to the
Town of Newtown as of October 1 preceding their application shall
be eligible for such abatement. A year's service in good standing
is achieved when meeting at least one of the following criteria:
A.
The member must respond to 25 calls in the calendar year preceding
inclusion on any certified list; or
A.
For fiscal years subsequent to July 1, 2021, the years of service
in good standing and the corresponding maximum available tax abatement
for those levels shall be as follows:
[Amended 5-19-2021]
|
Years of Service in Good Standing
(preceding date of list certification)
|
Maximum Available Tax Abatement
|
|---|---|
|
2
|
$250
|
|
3
|
$500
|
|
4
|
$750
|
|
5
|
$1,200
|
|
6
|
$1,600
|
|
7 or more
|
$2,000
|
B.
Abatement amounts for two or more members can be applied to the same
property if each member is a co-owner of that property.
C.
The maximum available tax abatements are subject to change upon resolution
by the Legislative Council, which may base such changes on recommendations
to the Legislative Council from the office of the First Selectman.
A.
In no event may any abatement amount equate to more than the maximum
amount of relief permitted under state statute, and if so, the First
Selectman may cap the total relief afforded to any individual to the
permitted maximum.
B.
Members are limited to only one annual abatement, regardless of the
number of volunteer organizations to which they belong.
A.
Annually on or before December 5 of each year, the president of each Fire Department shall certify and submit to the Board of Fire Commissioners a list of the members of his/her organization who are eligible as defined in § 208-20. This list shall contain addresses of such members and the number of years of service in good standing. The Board of Fire Commissioners will review and certify said list, making corrections as necessary, before submitting it to the office of the First Selectman by December 15 of each year.
B.
The Ambulance Association shall review and certify the Ambulance
Corps list, and said list shall contain addresses of such members
and the number of years of service in good standing, and submit it
directly to the office of the First Selectman by December 15 of each
year.
C.
Annually, on or before December 5 of each year, the President of NUSAR shall certify and submit to the Director of Newtown Emergency Management its own list of members who are eligible as defined in § 208-20. The Director will review and certify said list, making corrections as necessary, before submitting it directly to the office of the First Selectman by December 15 of each year.
The provisions of this article are declared to be severable,
and the invalidity of any portion thereof shall not affect the validity
of the remainder.
