[Amended 3-11-2024 by Ord. No. 412]
The Tax Assessor is hereby authorized to grant
an exemption on residential property situated in the Town and owned
and occupied by any and all persons 65 years of age or older, in accordance
with the limitations and provisions herein. This exemption will end
as of December 31, 2003, the 2004 Tax Year. Only the participants
in this exemption program at that time may continue to receive this
exemption until they no longer meet the eligibility requirements.
For the purpose of this article, a home or trailer
on leased land shall be deemed to be real estate.
In order to be eligible for the exemption provided
for herein:
A.
The applicant must be 65 years of age or older.
B.
The applicant must be the owner-occupant of the property
for which the tax exemption is intended.
C.
The owner-occupant must have been a resident and property
taxpayer in the Town for a period of one year prior to the filing
of any application for tax exemption.
D.
It is the express purpose of this article to confine
the exemption to residential property primarily used as such by the
owners thereof. No income-bearing residential property, business property
or combination of business and residential property, owned and occupied
by any person 65 years of age or older, shall be entitled to the exemption
herein provided.
E.
Applicants for the age sixty-five general exemption
shall be required to file only an initial application. This exemption
will end as of December 31, 2003, the 2004 Tax Year. Only the participants
in this exemption program at that time may continue to receive this
exemption until they no longer meet the eligibility requirements.
[Amended 3-11-2024 by Ord. No. 412]
F.
Prior to December 1st, the Tax Assessor must send to each current
exemption participant a verification document requiring proof of ownership
and residency for only those participants that own property in a Life
Estate or Trust.
[Added 2-11-2019 by Ord.
No. 379; amended 3-11-2024 by Ord. No. 412]
(1)
Recipient must complete and return this Proof of Residence document,
to the Tax Assessor's office prior to March 15th;
(2)
If the Proof of Residence document is not received by March 15th,
the Tax Assessor must remove all corresponding exemptions from the
Recipient's tax account(s);
(3)
Once the tax bills are sent, a potential recipient whose exemptions
have been removed due to not filing the Proof of Residence documents
to the Tax Assessor in the time prescribed, shall have the right to
submit a Tax Exemption Removal Complaint form to the Town Council
through the Tax Assessor's office. This Tax Exemption Removal Complaint
form will be submitted to the Town Council by the Tax Assessor within
thirty (30) days of receipt, along with a request for tax abatement
equal to the value of the exemptions removed.
Application for the exemption provided for herein
shall be made in the form approved by the Town Council.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 192-5, Date to file applications,
was repealed 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 379.
All exemptions or credits will be on a fiscal-year
basis in accordance with the current financial management procedures
of the Town.
For all persons eligible for exemption as provided in § 192-3, the general tax credit for the property for which the exemption is appropriate will result in a reduction of $100 on their tax bill.
Applicants for the exemption shall submit the
following information:
A.
Proof of age may be established by birth certificate,
baptismal certificate, certificate of citizenship or by other means
normally accepted by the Social Security Administration.
B.
Proof of ownership of the property for which the exemption
is claimed may be established by confirmation of the Tax Assessor
that the property tax on said property has been levied on the residence
of the applicant continuously for the required period of time.
C.
The exempt property hereunder must be the residence
of the applicant, together with the garage and/or outbuildings appurtenant
thereto.
D.
RESIDENCY
As used in this article, the following terms shall
have the meanings indicated:
One legally domiciled within the Town for at least 183 days
a year. Seasonal or temporary residences shall not be sufficient.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection E, regarding full payment
of property taxes on owner-occupied residential property, which immediately
followed, was repealed 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 379.
