DERBY – The members of the Board of Aldermen and Alderwomen voted unanimously Aug. 13 to increase tax breaks for volunteer firefighters and ambulance personnel.
Qualifying volunteers were able to claim up to a $1,000 credit on property taxes. The new limit raises the credit to $2,000, the state maximum.
However, it will be phased in over two budget cycles.
Qualifying volunteers will be able to claim up to a $1,500 abatement in the July 1, 2027 tax bill, and a $2,000 maximum credit in the tax bill due July 1, 2028.
Not every volunteer gets a $2,000 tax credit. The amount a volunteer can claim depends on years of service. See the table below.
Click here for more on qualifications needed for the tax abatement.
Derby Finance Director Brian Hall said there are about 27 volunteers who now claim the property tax credit. If that number does not change, the tax break will cost the city about $55,000 in revenue when it is fully implemented.
The tax abatement was discussed at the July 23 meeting of the finance and public safety subcommittee of the Board of Aldermen and Alderwomen.
“I think this is a great idea that will, hopefully, get more people involved in the fire department,” George Kurtyka, the BOAA president and member of the subcommittee, said.
After receiving a positive referral from the subcommittee, the tax break was then adopted by a unanimous vote of the full BOAA during a meeting Aug. 13.
“That’s a good thing for our fire department and ambulance,” Mayor Joseph DiMartino said.
Questions about the application process should be directed to the Derby Tax Assessor’s Office.