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• • • CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA RESOLUTION REGARDING PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS WHEREAS, in a November 2002 referendum, Virginia voters approved an amendment to the Virginia Constitution that shifted the responsibility for granting certain property tax exemptions from the General Assembly to the localities; and WHEREAS, the General Assembly enacted Virginia Code Section 58.1-3651, effective January 1, 2003, to establish the circumstances and procedures under which localities may grant property tax exemptions, and amended this section to provide clarification in 2004; and WHEREAS, in light of the legislative changes, the number of requests to the City for tax exemptions has increased, partly as a result of these changes; and WHEREAS, many of the applicants seeking such tax relief already are subsidized or may be subsidized in the future by the City through its regular budget funding process; and WHEREAS, the City Council, in an effort to be fair and orderly in its treatment to of all organizations, both those that have been granted property tax exemptions and whose which do not have property tax exemptions, passed a resolution on December 19, 1988, deciding that it would not support property tax exemptions in the future but would analyze subsidies to local organizations as part of the budget process rather than piecemeal during the entire fiscal year through the tax exemption process; and WHEREAS, this Council desires to continue the existing 1988 policy regarding property tax exemptions. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Council has decided that it will continue its existing policy to not support property tax exemptions in the future. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that during its annual budget process this Council will take into account whether a funding applicant has a property tax exemption, and if so, its nature and extent, and then shape the aggregate City funding amount accordingly, all with the goal of treating every applicant fairly. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all categories of organizations granted exemption by classification by the General Assembly prior to January 1, 2003, shall continue to be granted exemption by classification under the terms as determined by the General Assembly, and all organizations granted exemption by designation by the General Assembly prior to January 1, 2003, shall continue to be granted exemption by designation under the terms as determined by the General Assembly. Approved by Council November 1, 2004 C CfK of City Council