STATE OF CONNECTICUT
TOWN OF GREENWICH
The Annual Representative Town Meeting of the Town of Greenwich will be held in the Moderator’s Hall of Central Middle School on Tuesday January 20, 2004 at 8:00 P.M.(E.S.T.) for the following purposes:
1. To administer the oath of office to all members.
2. To elect a Moderator
3. To elect a Moderator Pro Tempore
4. To consider and act upon the following resolution, requested by the Tax Collector and approved by the Board of Estimate and Taxation.
RESOLVED, that Town Code Chapter 12. Taxation, Article 3. Collections, §12-13 be amended as follows:
Sec. 12-13. Payment of delinquent taxes on motor vehicles.
As authorized by the [general] provisions of General Statutes §[7-148(c)(2)(B),] 12-146:
(a) [t] The only acceptable forms of payment of delinquent taxes on motor vehicles shall be by cash, certified check or money order[.]; and
(b) Any person who was delinquent in the payment of any property tax or installment on any motor vehicle and for whom the Tax Collector notified the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of such delinquency under the provisions of General Statutes §14-33 shall pay a fee of five dollars ($5.00).
Additions bold
deletions within [brackets]
Referred to Finance Committee
Referred to Legislative & Rules Committee
Referred to Town Services Committee
5. To consider and act upon the following resolution, requested by the Superintendent of Schools and approved by the Board of Education and the Board of Estimate and Taxation.
RESOLVED, that the sum of $550,000 be and the same is hereby appropriated from “RESERVED FOR CAPITAL & NON-RECURRING FUND” to account Z68002922410659560 Hamilton Avenue School.
Referred to Education Committee
Referred to Finance Committee
6. To consider and act upon the following resolution, requested by the Commissioner of Public Works and approved by the First Selectman and the Board of Estimate and Taxation.
RESOLVED, that the sum of $80,000 be and the same is hereby appropriated to be added to Public Works’ Account No. K361-59650-22204 known as “Old Greenwich/S. Water Street Pump Station.”
Referred to Finance Committee
Referred to Public Works Committee
7. To consider and act upon the follow resolution, requested by the Special RTM Committee on Tax Abatement for Surviving Spouses.
RESOLVED, that the following tax abatement relief for surviving spouses of Police Officers and Firefighters be approved and enacted by the Representative Town Meeting.
ARTICLE 5.
TAX ABATEMENT FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES OF POLICE OFFICERS AND
FIREFIGHTERS
The Representative Town Meeting ("RTM") of the Town of Greenwich ("the Town") finds and determines as follows:
1. The Greenwich police officers and firefighters provide a valuable service to
the Town.
2. The Town wishes to honor those police officers and firefighters who die while performing their duties as police officers or firefighters.
3. Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81x, the Town is authorized to provide for an abatement of real property taxes with respect to real property owned and occupied by the surviving spouse of a police officer or firefighter who dies while performing his duties for the Town.
Section 12-17 Tax Abatement for Surviving Spouse of Police Officers and Firefighters.
a. Definitions
i. For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" is defined as any person who is regularly employed and paid by the Town of Greenwich for the purpose of performing fire duties for the Town of Greenwich on an average of not less than 35hours per week or any volunteer member of the Greenwich Fire Department who performs fire duties.
ii. For the purposes of this Section, "police officer" is defined as a duly sworn member of the Greenwich Police Department, serving the Town in an official capacity, full-time, part-time or on a volunteer basis, with or without compensation.
iii. For the purposes of this Section, "surviving spouse" is defined as the person who was married to the police officer or firefighter at the time of the police officer's or firefighter's death.
iv. For the purposes of this Section, "fire duties" are defined as duties performed while at fires, while answering alarms of fire, while answering calls for mutual aid assistance, while returning from calls for mutual aid assistance, while directly returning from fires, while at fire drills or parades, while going directly to or returning directly from fire drills or parades, while at tests or trials of any apparatus or equipment normally used by the fire department, while going directly to or returning directly from such tests or trials, while instructing or being instructed in fire duties, and any other duty ordered to be performed by a superior or commanding officer in the fire department.
v. For the purposes of this ordinance, "police duties" are defined as any action which an officer is obligated or authorized by law, rule, regulation, or written condition of employment of service to perform during regularly scheduled hours, other hours that qualify for overtime compensation from the Town, or volunteer duty under the command of a superior officer of the Greenwich Police Department.
b. In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81x, there is hereby established effective for the Grand List of October 1, 2003, an abatement of
100% of municipal real property taxes due with respect to real property owned by the surviving spouse of a police officer who dies while performing police duties or firefighter who dies while performing fire duties on or after the date of approval of this Resolution by the RTM. The allowed abatement will be apportioned on the tax bill from the date of death.
c. This tax abatement will remain in effect so long as the surviving spouse occupies the residence as his primary residence or until the surviving spouse remarries or until the spouse conveys his interest in the subject residence. If the spouse subsequently purchases another residence in the Town, and all qualifying criteria remain, then the tax abatement shall apply to the new residence.
d. The Chiefs of the Greenwich Police Department and Greenwich Fire Department shall within 15 days of the death of a Department member who dies performing their duties for the Town submit a letter of notification to the Assessor providing
the name and principal residence address of the surviving spouse who continues to own and live in their home. The Assessor will meet with the surviving spouse
to complete a signed affidavit containing relevant factual data for tax abatement. The surviving spouse will complete a revised affidavit in subsequent years when requested by the Assessor.
e. Upon the death of any person entitled to tax relief pursuant to this Section, the tax relief hereunder shall end the following June 30.
f. If any person who is entitled to a tax abatement hereunder conveys the property with respect to which the tax abatement hereunder has been granted, the tax relief shall be suspended as of the date of conveyance and the non-qualifying purchaser of such property shall pay the Town a prorated share of taxes thereby due and owing as provided by Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81a.
g. The property tax relief provided for in this Section shall, in any case where title to real property is recorded in the name of the qualifying surviving spouse and any other person or persons, be prorated to reflect the fractional portion of such qualifying spouse or, if such property is a multiple family or multiple use dwelling, such relief shall be prorated to reflect the fractional portion of such property occupied by the qualifying spouse.
h. Annually, not later than the 1st day of June, the Assessor, upon receipt of an application for such relief, shall determine, with respect to the assessment list of the assessment year commencing October first immediately preceding, the portion of the assessed value of the entire cooperative, as included in such assessment list, attributable to the dwelling unit occupied by such person. The assumed property tax liability for purposes of determining the amount of such relief shall be the product of such assessed value and the mill rate in such municipality as determined for purposes of property tax imposed on said assessment list for the assessment year commencing October first immediately preceding. The amount of relief to which such person shall be entitled shall be equivalent to the
amount of tax reduction for which such person would qualify, considering such assumed property tax liability to be the actual property tax application to such person's dwelling unit and such person as liable for the payment of such tax.
i. The Tax Collector and Assessor shall prescribe with regard to their respective duties under this Section, such forms and procedures as may be necessary to implement this Section. The Assessor, in addition, shall take such steps necessary to satisfactorily establish the facts as to the qualifying surviving spouse's interest in the property, by requesting such documents as the Assessor deems necessary.
j. The Tax Collector of the Town shall maintain a record of all taxes abated in
accordance with this Section. The Tax Collector shall detail in the Annual Report of the Town of Greenwich the sum of the total monies abated as a result of this Section.
k. This Section shall take effect February 1, 2004.
Referred to Finance Committee
Referred to Legislative & Rules Committee
Referred to Town Services Committee
8. To consider and act upon the following sense of the meeting resolution, requested by twenty registered voters.
Be It Hereby Resolved that it is the sense of this meeting that:
Whereas the qualifications of persons chosen for leading positions in town departments and administrative bodies are of utmost concern to the citizens of Greenwich with their unique valuation of exceptional performance and
Whereas in the selection of the above a recognition of loyalty by persons already employed by the town together with the local government’s heavy investment in such persons’ skill development should be taken into account and
Whereas such recognition will promote quality job performance and employee retention through the incentive of career advancement
Now Therefore such persons already serving the town shall be given most favorable consideration for advancement to enhanced leadership roles.
Referred to Legislative & Rules Committee
Referred to Town Services Committee
Dated at Greenwich,Ct THOMAS J.BYRNE
January 5, 2004 MODERATOR
CARMELLA C. BUDKINS
TOWN CLERK
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