[Adopted 6-6-2018 by L.L. No. 3-2018]
A. 
The Common Council makes the following findings of fact:
(1) 
The Common Council has established a charitable gifts reserve fund under General Municipal Law § 6-u.
(2) 
The Common Council seeks to extend a real property tax credit to real property taxpayers in the City of Ithaca for their contributions to the charitable gifts reserve fund provided for in Real Property Tax Law § 980-a.
B. 
Based upon the above findings of fact, the intent and purpose of this article is to authorize a tax credit pursuant to Real Property Tax Law § 980-a to real property taxpayers in the City of Ithaca for their contributions to the charitable gifts reserve fund.
This article is adopted pursuant to Real Property Tax Law § 980-a, which authorizes municipal corporations to adopt a real property tax credit if it has established a charitable gifts reserve fund.
A. 
Having previously established a charitable gifts reserve fund, the Common Council hereby establishes a charitable gifts reserve fund tax credit for the City of Ithaca.
B. 
Any owner of real property located within the City who makes an unrestricted charitable monetary contribution to the City's charitable gifts reserve fund shall be issued a written acknowledgement of such contribution and may claim a credit against his or her City real property tax equal to 95% of the charitable gifts reserve fund donation.
C. 
The "associated credit year" for administration of the real property tax credit authorized in this article shall, per Real Property Tax Law § 980-a(2)(a), begin on February 1 of each year and end on January 31 of the following year, except that in the first instance it shall begin on such date as this article takes effect and end on January 31, 2019.
D. 
Upon presentation during any given associated credit year of a written acknowledgement of contribution and credit claim form in compliance with Real Property Tax Law § 980-a(3)(b) and such other procedures as may be established pursuant to this article, the City Chamberlain shall, to the extent authorized by Real Property Tax Law § 980-a and this article, grant the property owner a tax credit towards the tax liability arising from the next-due tax installment specified in § C-42 of the City Charter as to which the last day prescribed by law on which taxes may be paid without interest or penalty has not yet expired.
E. 
The City Chamberlain shall administer the real property tax credit authorized in this article in conformance with such procedures as specified in Real Property Tax Law § 980-a(3)(b) and (c), and such other procedures, not inconsistent therewith, established by the City Controller, in consultation with the City Chamberlain.
Severability is intended throughout and within the provisions of this article. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this article is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, then that decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this article.