§ 29.102. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:

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

Application means a written application for an exemption on a form prescribed by the department, together with any supplemental form or information required by the county.

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

County means Wakulla County, Florida.

Department means the Florida Department of Revenue.

Economic development ad valorem tax exemption means an ad valorem tax exemption granted by the board in its sole discretion pursuant to this article to a qualifying new business 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.

Expansion of an existing business means:

(1)

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 and which principally engages in the manufacturing, processing, compounding, fabricating, or production for sale items of tangible personal property at a fixed location and which comprises an industrial or manufacturing plant; or

(2)

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 and which is a targeted industry business as defined in F.S. § 288.106(2)(q); or

(3)

A business establishing 25 or more new jobs to employ 25 or more full-time employees in Wakulla County, the sales factor of which for the facility with respect to which it requests an exemption is less than 0.50 for each year the exemption is claimed; provided that such business increases operations on a site located within the county collocated with a commercial or industrial operation owned by the same business under common control with the same business, resulting in a net increase in employment of not less than ten percent or an increase in productive output or sales of not less than ten percent; or

(4)

Any business located within an enterprise zone or brownfield area that increases operations on a site located within the same zone or area collocated with a commercial or industrial operation owned by the same business under common control with the same business.

Facility means a business located in Wakulla County that is requesting an ad valorem tax exemption.

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.

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

New business means:

(1)

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 and which principally engages in the manufacturing, processing, compounding, fabricating, or production for sale items of tangible personal property at a fixed location and which comprises an industrial or manufacturing plant; or

(2)

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 and which is a targeted industry business as defined in F.S. § 288.106(2)(q); or

(3)

A business establishing 25 or more new jobs to employ 25 or more full-time employees in the county, the sales factor of which for the facility with respect to which it requests an exemption is less than 0.50 for each year the exemption is claimed; or

(4)

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, and further 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

(5)

Any business located within an enterprise zone or brownfield area that first begins operation on a site clearly separate from any other commercial or industrial operation owned by the same business.

Sales factor means a fraction the numerator of which is the total sales of a taxpayer business in this county during a taxable year or period and the denominator of which is the total sales of the business everywhere during the taxable year or period, as defined in F.S. § 220.15(5).

(Ord. No. 12-17, § 3, 8-6-2012)