§ 86-34. Definitions.

For purposes of this division, the following words, phrases, and terms shall have the same meanings attributed to them in current Florida Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code, except where context or definition below indicates otherwise:

(1)

Applicant means any person, firm, partnership, or corporation who files an application with the board seeking an economic development ad valorem tax exemption.

(2)

Board means the board of county commissioners of Levy County.

(3)

Business means any for-profit activity engaged in by any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other business organization or entity.

(4)

County means Levy County, Florida.

(5)

Department means the Florida department of revenue.

(6)

Economic development ad valorem tax exemption or exemption means the ad valorem tax exemption granted by the board in its discretion to a qualifying new business and/or an expansion of an existing business for up to 100 percent of the county ad valorem tax levied on the qualifying property of said business for a period up to ten years; provided, however, the exemption shall not apply to taxes levied for the payment of bonds or taxes authorized by a vote of the electors pursuant to section 9 or section 12, article VII of the State Constitution.

(7)

Enterprise zone means an area designated as an enterprise zone pursuant to F.S. § 290.0065.

(8)

Expansion of an existing business means any of the following:

a.

A business establishing ten or more new jobs to employ ten or more full-time employees in the county, paying an average wage for such new jobs that is above the average wage in the county, which principally engages in manufacturing, processing, compounding, fabricating, or producing for sale items of tangible personal property at a fixed location and which comprises an industrial or manufacturing plant; or

b.

A business establishing 25 or more new jobs to employ 25 or more full-time employees in the county, the sales factor for which, as defined in section 86-34(n) herein, for the facility with respect to which it requests an ad valorem tax exemption is less than 50 percent inside the county for each year the exemption is claimed; provided that such business increases operations on a site co-located with a commercial or industrial operation owned by the same business, resulting in a net increase in employment of not less than ten percent or an increase in productive output of not less than ten percent.

(9)

Facility means the business located in the county that is requesting an ad valorem tax exemption.

(10)

Goods means all personal property when purchased primarily for personal, family, or household use, but not including personal property sold for commercial or industrial use.

(11)

Improvements means physical changes made to raw land, and structures placed on or under the land surface.

(12)

New business means any of the following:

a.

A business establishing ten or more new jobs to employ ten or more full-time employees in the county, paying an average wage for such new jobs that is above the average wage in the county, which principally engages in manufacturing, processing, compounding, fabricating, or producing for sale items of tangible personal property at a fixed location and which comprises an industrial or manufacturing plant; or

b.

Is a qualified target industry as may be identified by the board from time to time; or

c.

A business establishing 25 or more new jobs to employ 25 or more full-time employees in the county, the sales factor for which, as defined in section 86-34(n) herein, for the facility which requests an economic ad valorem tax exemption is less than 50 percent inside the county for each year the exemption is claimed; or

d.

An office space in the county owned and used by a business newly domiciled in the county; provided such office space houses 50 or more full-time employees of such business; provided that such business first begins operation on a site clearly separate from any other commercial or industrial operation owned by the same business; or

e.

Any business located in an enterprise zone that first begins operation on a site clearly separate from any other commercial or industrial operation owned by the same business and creating new full-time jobs in accordance with the business disciplines identified above; or

f.

A business that is situated on property annexed into a municipality and that, at the time of the annexation, is receiving an economic development ad valorem tax exemption from the county pursuant to this division.

(13)

Property appraiser means the property appraiser of Levy County, Florida.

(14)

Sales factor means a fraction the numerator of which is the total sales of the taxpayer in the county during the taxable year or period and the denominator of which is the total sales of the taxpayer everywhere during the taxable year or period. For purposes of this definition, "total sales" shall mean those sales that are processed and shipped through the facility's doors located in the county and "taxpayer' shall have the same meaning as "facility". Additional definitions and calculations of a sales factor shall be in accordance with F.S. § 220.15(5).

(Ord. No. 2015-01 , § 3, 4-7-2015; Ord. No. 2015-10 , § 1, 11-3-2015)