Property tax exemptions in place for home improvements

Property tax exemptions in place for home improvements

As a way to encourage property owners to make improvements to their homes, Village of Brockport officials unanimously approved a tax exemption for approved home improvements of one and two-family homes. Following the improvements and the completion of an application, the taxpayer can request a nine-year tax exemption.

Following a public hearing at the May 21 board meeting, the exemption was put into place. As an example, Trustee David Wagenhauser, who researched and presented the proposal, said a $10,000 improvement would not be included in any increase in assessments on an individual property. In the first year, the entire $10,000 amount would be exempt, in subsequent years it would reduce by about 12.5 percent until the ninth year when the improvement amount would be fully taxable. "This proposal doesn't affect any other assessment increases that could be put into effect, but it does exempt the improvement amount," Wagenhauser said.

Speaking at the public hearing, resident Carol Hannan said she was concerned. "Why should tax abatements be given to money-making enterprises and why should taxpayers carry the load for this proposition?" she asked. "This is a village that is in serious financial constraints so why are you going to do something to benefit those people who have no need for financial abatements? I'm not sure that is fair to the taxpayers who can't afford it. If you want to help people, help those who are impoverished."

Mayor Mort Wexler pointed out that there are programs available that are offered dependent on income. "The purpose of this proposal is if a single family or two family home property owner improves their house, that is a benefit for the entire village," he said.

"I think you should craft something to turn rentals back into single family homes," Hannan said.

Many exemptions, Wagenhauser explained, come from the state; municipalities can opt to participate in those prorams. "There is the STAR program and there are low income exemptions in place," he said.

The property tax exemption was approved. Taxpayers who are interested can contact the village office for details.

In other matters the board:

•Heard from landlord George Brocious who asked for a response to his previous visit to a board meeting in which he distributed information on what he deemed "illegal rental" properties within the village. "Will the village check into these allegations?" he asked.

Wexler said because the village is involved in litigation with Brocious that they could not respond to his questions. "You have three minutes to state your case," he told Brocious.

Brocious handed out "Exhibit K" to the board which included 14 more properties that he said were involved in renting to "three or more unrelated" persons, which is violation of village codes. "I can't understand why these codes are not being enforced."

Wexler again said village officials would not respond and told him he had less than one minute remaining in the three minute window.

"You may want to twist and turn this but I want to know to which government agency is the village accountable?"

•Pat Kutz, owner of Lift Bridge Book Shop, told the board that she is generally very supportive of the board's actions but was disappointed they didn't choose Arjuna Florist to supply the downtown hanging flower baskets. "Village officials state that it's important to support downtown, then they should have done so when they chose where to buy the downtown flowers," she said. "I understand that Arjuna may not have been the lowest bidder but I hope that the low bidder's flowers will look as good as Arjuna's would have."

In the past, Kutz had promoted fundraising to help pay for watering of the plants that line Main Street but said she didn't feel compelled to do so this year because a downtown merchant wasn't chosen to provide the flower baskets.