[Adopted 9-11-2000 by Ord. No. 80]
The following article be and hereby is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Public Act No. 120, Section 10 (C.G.S. § 12-81w).
[Amended 6-26-2018]
Present active members, which shall also include members serving during a probationary period, and nonactive veteran members with 25 or more years of service with the Old Saybrook Volunteer Fire Department residing in the Town of Old Saybrook and paying property taxes (real or personal) to the Town of Old Saybrook shall be eligible for property tax abatement subject to the following conditions:
A. 
In order to be eligible for tax abatement, the active Fire Department member must accumulate at least 200 service points during each fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) or be a nonactive veteran member with at least 25 years or more of service.
B. 
Eligibility for each fiscal year shall be determined upon a review of service by the Fire Chief of the Old Saybrook Volunteer Fire Department. This determination shall be made prior to October 1 of each year and shall be based upon the points accumulated by each member for the Town's fiscal year ending on June 30 of that year.
C. 
The first year of the implementation of this proposed revision as it concerns probationary and veteran firefighters with 25 or more years of service shall be for the tax assessment date of October 1, 2019, based upon points accumulated for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018 and ending on June 30, 2019. Thereafter, in the years beginning on October 1, 2020, the tax abatement may be up to and including the maximum allowed pursuant to state statute.
[Amended 4-4-2023]
D. 
Said tax abatement shall not be carried over from one fiscal year to another.
E. 
Said tax abatement applies only to property owned in part or in whole by the volunteer. The abatement shall not exceed the total assessed value of property owned by the qualifying member of the Department.
F. 
Said abatement is not transferable in part or in whole.
G. 
Certification. The Old Saybrook Volunteer Fire Department Chief shall deliver to the Assessor's office a list of persons who have met all the criteria for eligibility for the tax abatement; said list shall consist of the name, current address, number of points accumulated with certification signed by the Chief.
A. 
Upon receipt of the information set forth above, the Assessor will review the tax assessment records for the qualifying member and shall apply a tax exemption against property assessed in the name of the qualifying member, the amount of which shall reduce that member's estimated tax liability to the Town of Old Saybrook equal to the amount of the tax abatement for which that member qualifies. The tax exemption shall be applied first against real property owned by the eligible member, and the balance thereof, if necessary, against any personal property assessment of that individual.
B. 
In the event that any real property against which a tax exemption is granted under the provisions of this article is transferred by the eligible member during the year following the date of assessment of that property, then the Assessor shall eliminate the tax exemption on said property with reference to any tax payment which remains outstanding for that assessment year on the date of said transfer. The amount of elimination of said tax exemption with reference to a property so transferred shall be prorated for the assessment year following the date of assessment up to the time of transfer.