ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
August 15, 2016
MINUTES
A meeting of the Ordinance Committee of the City Council met on
Monday, August 15, 2016, in City Hall room 215. Those in attendance
included: Councilman Gregg Cogswell, Councilman Paul Cavagnero,
Councilwoman Anne Ruwet, Mayoral Aide Timothy Waldron and Corporation Counsel Jaime M. LaMere.
The meeting came to order at 6:07 p.m.
I.
Proposed Amendment to Municipal Ordinance §187-27 Tax Exemption for Low-Income Veterans.
Tim Waldron shared a memo from Donna Patchen (Tax Assessor) dated August 15, 2016 along with email correspondence between Mrs. Patchen and Mayor Elinor Carbone regarding the current number of veterans receiving the $10,000 local option veteran exemption and the potential additional number of veterans that might be eligible for the exemption.
Councilman Cavagnero questioned whether members of the National Guard were eligible for this exemption. He also questioned who determines what constitutes “approved conflict periods” that would make a veteran eligible for the exemption and what the average benefit to a veteran would be.
Discussion was also had about the language of Public Act 16-191 “An Act Concerning Veterans’ Property Taxes” that states that the exemption “may be an amount up to twenty thousand dollars…”
A motion was then made by Councilwoman Ruwet that an amendment to the current ordinance to provide up to a $20,000 tax exemption for low-income veterans be presented to City Council for consideration and public hearing. The motion was seconded by Councilman Cavagnero and passed unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT
Councilwoman Ruwet moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilman Cavagnero. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 6:34 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted:
/s/ Jaime M. LaMere, Esq.
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Jaime M. LaMere, Esq.
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