[Adopted 5-14-1998 by Ord. No. 919; readopted 5-8-2008 by Ord. No. 984]
As used in this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings set forth below:
ASSESSMENT AGENCY
The Tax Assessment Office of Washington County.
COUNCIL
The Council of Charleroi Borough, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT AREA
Those areas within Charleroi Borough, the boundaries of which have been fixed by the Charleroi Borough Council to include all areas in Census Tract 7831 (more specifically identified on the attached map[1]), plus any other business or industrial use approved by the Council in any other zoning district, in which improvements to deteriorated property are eligible for tax exemption.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT PROPERTY
Any industrial, commercial or other business property owned by an individual, association or corporation and located in an economic investment area, or any such property which has been the subject of an order by a government agency requiring the unit to be vacated, condemned or demolished by reason of noncompliance with laws, ordinances or regulations.
IMPROVEMENT
Repair, construction or reconstruction, including alterations and additions, having the effect of rehabilitating a deteriorated property so that it becomes habitable or attains higher standards of safety, health, economic use or amenity, or is brought into compliance with laws, ordinances or regulations governing such standards. Ordinary upkeep and maintenance shall not be deemed an improvement.
LOCAL TAXING AUTHORITY
The Borough of Charleroi, the County of Washington, the school districts or any other governmental entity having the authority to levy real property taxes within Washington County.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said map is on file in the Borough offices.
A. 
The amount to be exempted shall be limited to that portion of the additional assessment attributable to the actual cost of improvements.
B. 
The exemption shall be limited to that improvement for which an exemption has been requested in the manner set forth below, and for which a separate assessment has been made by the assessment agency.
C. 
In any case, after the effective date of this article, where deteriorated property is damaged, destroyed or demolished, by any cause or for any reason, and the assessed valuation of the property affected has been reduced as a result of the said damage, destruction or demolition, the exemption from real property taxation authorized by this article shall be limited to that portion of new assessment attributable to the actual cost of improvements or construction that is in excess of the original assessment that existed prior to damage, destruction or demolition of the property.
A. 
The schedule of real property taxes to be exempted shall be in accordance with the below portion of improvements to be exempted each year:
Length
Portion
First year
100%
Second year
100%
Third year
100%
Fourth year
100%
Fifth year
100%
After the fifth year, the exemption shall terminate.
B. 
The exemption from taxes granted under this article shall be upon the property exempted and shall not terminate upon the sale or exchange of the property.
C. 
Upon completion of the improvement, the taxpayer shall notify the local taxing authority and the assessment agency. The assessment agency shall then assess separately the improvement for the purpose of calculating the amount of assessment eligible for tax exemption in accordance with the limits established by this article and shall notify the taxpayer and the local taxing authorities of the reassessment and amounts of the assessment eligible for exemption. The Treasurer is authorized to make refunds, if applicable, only after the assessment agency has notified the Treasurer of its separate assessment upon the improvement for which an exemption is requested.
D. 
The cost of improvements to be exempted and the schedule of taxes exempted existing at the time of the initial request for tax exemption shall be applicable to that exemption request, and subsequent amendments to this article, if any, shall not apply to requests initiated prior to the adoption of such amendments.
E. 
Appeals from the reassessment and from the amount found to be eligible for the exemption may be taken by the local taxing authorities or by the taxpayer as provided by law.
No amendment to this article shall be effective unless consented to by resolution or ordinance of each local taxing authority which has consented to be bound by the terms of this article.
A. 
Unless sooner repealed and/or extended by the Council of the Borough of Charleroi, Washington County, this article shall automatically expire and terminate 10 years following the effective date hereof; provided, however, that any taxpayer who has received or applied for the exemption granted by this article prior to the expiration date herein provided shall, if said exemption is granted, be entitled to the full exemption authorized herein.
B. 
Nothing contained herein shall act to prohibit the Council from extending and/or reenacting a similar ordinance and/or amending the provisions of this article.