Laserfiche WebLink
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, <br />INDIANA REPEALING CHAPTER 25 ARTICLE 6 OF THE SOUTH BEND <br />MUNICIPAL CODE PER'T'AINING TO TAX ABATEMENTS AND ESTABLISHING <br />NEW TAX ABATEMENT PROVISIONS AND PROCEDURES <br />STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT <br />It has been seven (7) years since this Council enacted Ordinance No. 9394 -03 updating <br />Tax Abatement procedures for the City of South Bend. During that time, the Council has had an <br />opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of these procedures, and to compare them with benefits <br />being offered by other cities throughout the State of Indiana. There are 563 cities and towns in <br />85 of Indiana's 92 counties granting tax abatement. The Council has determined in order to <br />increase tax revenue, add to the tax base, create new jobs and help our community grow, new <br />procedures to develop tax phase -in should be instituted. These new procedures recognize the <br />fact that the best way to achieve economic development in our City is to incentivize businesses <br />by providing a clear, flexible, and fair process which provides benefits to phase in the payment <br />of taxes, and to reward good citizenship by providing additional phase -in credits consistent with <br />the goals and objectives of the Council to maintain and improve the quality of life in the City of <br />South Bend. This Ordinance achieves the goal of providing the best method to ensure the <br />actions taken by the beneficiary of the tax phase -in credits are consistent with the actions taken <br />by that beneficiary of the tax phase -in credits. In this way, the resulting increase of economic <br />activity will ensure the long -term viability of the City of South Bend. <br />NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE <br />CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, as follows: <br />Section I. Chapter 2, Article 6, Sections 2 -76 through 2 -85 are repealed and are <br />replaced as follows: <br />ARTICLE 6. TAX ABATEMENT PROCEDURES <br />DIVISION 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS <br />See. 2 -76. Legislative Findings. <br />(a) The Council finds there is a need to develop improved tax abatement (hereafter <br />"tax phase -in ") procedures. <br />(b) The Council finds phasing in taxes on new investment in real and personal <br />property, as allowed by Indiana Code 6 -1.1 -12.1, is an essential economic <br />development tool, and the purpose of phasing in taxes is to help attract new <br />1 <br />