Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 05-08-2007 workshop agenda — reading text

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Fort Walton Beach does hereby find it is in the best interest of the public health, safety and welfare of the Fort Walton Beach' s senior citizens that such a homestead tax exemption be adopted for the City' s permanent residents sixty-five years of age and older, and VHEREAS, pursuant to the authority conferred by Section 6( t)Article VII of the Florida Constitution and Section 196. 075, Florida Statutes, as amended, the City Council of the City of Fort \\Talton Beach does hereby grant an additional homestead tax exemption of up to 25, 000 to any person who has legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of such owner, who has attained age 65, and whose household income does not exceed $ 20, 000. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA: i..~"SECTION 1. This Ordinance is adopted pursuant to Section 196.075, Florida Statutes, Article VII of the Florida Constitution to allow an additional as amended, and Section 6( t), homestead exemption of up to $ 25, 000 for any person who has legal or equitable title to real estate and maintain thereon the permanent residence of such owner. who has attained age 65. and whose household income does not exceed $ 20, 000 in accordance with the regulation established herein. SECTION 2. The words and phrases in this Ordinance shall have the meanings provided by Section 196.075. Florida Statutes, as amended, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning. Household means a person or group of persons living together in a room or group of rooms as a housing unit, but the term does 110t include persons boarding in or renting a portion ofthe dwelling. . . Household Income means the adjusted gross income, as defined in 8. 62 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, of all members of a household.  SECTION 3. a) In accordance with Section 6( f)Article VII of the Florida Constitution and Section 196. 075, Florida Statutes, as amended, the City Council hereby authorizes an additional homestead exemption of $25, 000 commencing with the year 2000 for any person who has legal or equita~l~ title to real estate and maintains thereon the penn anent residence of such owner, who has attained age 65, and whose household income does not exceed .520, 000. b) Beginning January 1, 2001, such person' s $ 20,000 income limitation shall be adjusted annually, on January I, by the percentage change in the average cost-of- living index in the period January 1 through December 31 of the immediate prior year compared with the period for the year prior to that. The index is the average of the monthly consumer price index figures for the stated 12 month period, relative to the United States as a whole, issued by the United States Department of Labor. c) Persons receiving such additional homestead tax exemption shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 196. 131 and 196. 161, Florida Statutes, as amended, if applicable, pertaining to wrongful receipt of a homestead tax exemption. SECTION 4. It is the intent of the City of Fort Walton Beach in establishing this Ordinance that it be and is hereby empowered to rescind this additional homestead tax exemption at the end of any particular year should it be detem1ined in the sole etion of the discJ;' City that there is an adverse financial impact of such an exemption, and it no longer serves the best financial interest of Fort Walton Beach. SECTION 5. The additional homestead tax exemption established hereunder shall apply only to taxes levied by the City of Fort Walton Beach. l. {.. SECTION 6. a) Those persons entitled to the homestead tax exemption in Section 196. 031, Florida Statutes, as amended, may apply for and may receive an additional homestead tax exemption as provided in this Ordinance. b) A taxpayer claiming the additional homestead tax exemption provided under this Ordinance shall annually submit to the Property Appraiser, no later than March I, a sworn statement of household income on a fonn prescribed by the Department of Revenue. c) The filing of the statement of the taxpayer shall be supported by copies of any federal income tax returns for the prior year, any wage and eamings statement ( W- 2 forms), and any other documents the Department of Revenue finds necessary, for each member of the household,' to be submitted by June I. The taxpayer' s statement shall attest to the accuracy of such copies. The Property Appraiser may not grant the exemption without the required documentation.  d) If title is held jointly with right of survivorship, the person residing on the subject property and otherwise qualifying may receive the entire amount of the additional homestead tax exemption. SECTION 7. The City Clerk shall deliver a copy of the adopted Ordinance to the Property Appraiser no later than December 31., 1999. If this Ordinance is thereafter modified or repealed, the City of Fort Walton Beach shall notify the Property Appraiser no later than December 1 of the year prior to the year the exemption expires. SECTION 8. SEVERABILITY. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any Court of competent jurisdiction then said holding shall in no way affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. SECTION 9. CODIFICATION. The provisions of this Ordinance shall become and be made a part of the code of laws and ordinances of the City of F011 \ Valton Bcach. The sections of this Ordinance my be renumbered or re- Iettered to accomplish such, and the word ordinance" may be changed to " section", " article", or any other appropriate word. SECTION 10. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall become effective upon approval of the City Council and signature of the Mayor. ADOPTED: ~ MAYOR: C' The fonn and legal sufficiency of c.4-., the foregoing has been reviewed approved by the City Attorney. 5b\word\homeex\ 8- Dec- 99 DISPOSITI01; CDDAtuA1IUE AID CORRECt COP'f cm. RlRfWAlrollUCH SPElCCER, CLERI II. tZ. 1- j/J.. - e:;. < '