Council Enacts Tax Relief For NUSAR, Qualifies Eligible Ambulance Volunteers

By John Voket

(Editor’s Note: This story clarifies an online report that stated a proposed ordinance amendment before the Legislative Council would expand tax relief eligibility for certain ambulance association volunteers.)

After hearing from a handful of residents during a pair of public hearings Wednesday, November 16, the Legislative Council unanimously passed an amendment adding Newtown Underwater Search And Rescue (NUSAR) volunteers to the list of qualified emergency personnel who receive tax abatements in exchange for a minimum level of service.

Council members also approved a strategic plan for the town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) proposed earlier this fall.

The tax relief amendment as outlined in Town Ordinance 79 will now provide a similar benefit to qualifying NUSAR responders that has been applied to local fire volunteers. The initiative, defined as an “assessment exemption program” is permitted pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes, according to the approved proposal.

Members of at least three years’ good standing of the Newtown volunteer fire companies, ambulance corps, and NUSAR who reside in and pay property tax to the Town of Newtown as of October 1 preceding their application shall be eligible for that exemption.

A year’s service in good standing is achieved when either the member responds to a minimum of 25 calls in the calendar year preceding inclusion; the member holds a position on the administrative and/or executive board; serves as a commissioner; or is a supporting members according to company bylaws.

During the hearing, and later during council deliberation, Ordinance Committee Chair Mary Ann Jacob spoke to address some apparent confusion regarding the status of ambulance volunteers, clarifying that the tax relief was targeted for corps members only, not members of the Ambulance Association.

Ms Jacob told The Bee following the meeting that the ordinance clearly identifies ambulance corps members are eligible for the program, but she understood that for some reason the benefit was being extended to one or more association board members.

“If anything, our discussion about the amendment for NUSAR has shed light on the fact that some ambulance association members knowingly or not, were receiving the benefit which is intended only for feet on the street volunteers,” Ms Jacob said.

In 2010, Assessor Chris Kelsey told The Bee that 186 volunteers received exemptions totaling $138,045 between real property and motor vehicles.

Under the amended ordinance the director of NUSAR will act similarly to the president of each fire company and chief of the ambulance corps by submitting and certifying each requestor who is eligible, and turning over that list to town officials by December 15 of each year.

Exemption against assessed values with respect to property taxes — which shall be applied first to any real property the recipient may own before being applied to personal property — shall be applied to the July 1 installment tax bill in accordance with the member’s length of service.

Those with three years qualify for a $250 exemption; those with four years may receive $440; five years may receive $675; six years may receive $860; and after seven years or more of continuous service, the benefit maxes out at $1,000 annually.

An assessed exemption amounts for two or more members can be applied to the same property if each member is a co-owner of that property. And a member who has a break in service may subsequently return to service and would be entitled to have former qualifying years counted toward benefits under this schedule.

Members are limited to only one exemption regardless of the number of volunteer organizations to which they belong. The Legislative Council may adjust the level of tax relief for qualified members on or before May 1 of each year, by majority vote at a regular meeting of the council.

EDC Strategic Plan

As stated, the newly adopted EDC strategic plan “sets forth a road map for continued economic growth and expansion in the community.”

It provides detailed strategy and action plans for successfully achieving six major goals. It utilizes a SMART process by defining programs that are “Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bounded,” according to the introduction.

A summary of the proposal outlines that the EDC plan “is built on facts from numerous meetings with leaders and members of the business community, a major 2010 survey aimed at approximately 1,750 Newtown businesses, discussions with the town’s elected leaders and executives and reflections on the 2003 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).”

It is expected that this document will serve as the EDC’s contribution to the POCD currently being revised by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The six major goals the commission will pursue in the next five years include:

1. Reduce the burden of taxes on individual homeowners by increasing the commercial/industrial assessment portion of the Newtown Grand List from 6.94 percent by one percent or approximately $43 million over the next five years. This requires a market investment of about $62.6 million in land and/or buildings.

2. Promote economic development of town-owned commercial and industrial properties and facilitate lease/sale options.

3. Attract new business and commercial endeavors to develop vacant tracts of land and assist in bringing suitable businesses into existing vacant commercial and industrial spaces.

4. Increase the development potential of existing commercial and industrial properties by enhancing opportunities for economic growth within these areas. Explore opportunities for expanding into new areas where commercial and industrial development would be appropriate.

5. Nurture the hundreds of existing small enterprises in Newtown by fostering multifaceted efforts to encourage their growth.

6. Better serve Newtown’s existing commercial base.

During discussion ahead of the vote, EDC Chairman Don Sharpe said another byproduct of discussions leading up to drafting the strategic plan would be a dedicated effort to helping taxpayers understand the how his commission’s efforts along with support from Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker will contribute to both an enhanced quality of life and mitigating future tax increases by offsetting the residential tax burden with increased, appropriate commercial development.

Commissioner Margaret Oliger, along with Mr Sharpe and Ms Stocker, also promoted expanding the commercial tax base through as much reuse of existing facilities as possible, and rejected any idea the EDC would fast track commercial growth by promoting “big box” retail and strip mall development.

Mr Sharpe clarified that even if that was part of an economic development plan, the towns planning and zoning regulations prevent that type of rampant commercial expansion.