Montgomery considers fiscal help for homeowners of historical sites

Montgomery officials are considering granting tax exemptions to homeowners of historical structures if they meet certain criteria.

City officials met with Frank Tamborello, a 76-year-old resident who moved into one of the city’s oldest homes in April. In 1992, residents of the home, built in 1864 at 801 College Street, were granted by city council a 25 percent tax exemption on property taxes.

Tamborello spoke with officials during a city council meeting Feb. 14 in hopes they would continue this arrangement, which is expected to expire in April.

However, officials considered the possibility of expanding that program to include other homeowners with historical structures.

Council member Casey Olson said he wasn’t comfortable with giving one historical home special treatment, when there’s potentially others who may qualify for the program.

“If we have historic homes and they qualify, then they qualify,” Olson said during the city council meeting. “I’m not against the tax exemption. I just think that if we’re going to give the tax exemption, then we need to spread it out.”

More than 18 homes would qualify for this program, said Dave McCorquodale, assistant city administrator and director of planning and development. The homeowners could have a 25 percent to 50 percent tax exemption, based on what city council decides.

According to documents provided by the city, homeowners may need to meet specific requirements based on what city officials agree upon.

One of the criteria discussed was based on the age of the structure — whether it’s 100 years old or an age determined by city council. Another criteria was whether the home is within the Historical Preservation District or identified as a city-designated historic landmark.

“Obviously, it needs to be a residential structure,” McCorquodale said during the meeting, noting that commercial buildings are not considered for the tax exemption.

Larry Foerster, chairman of the Montgomery County Historical Commission, said no such tax exemption program exists in the county. However, the city with approximately 2,000 residents is different.

The commission is a state agency with a purpose of surveying, recording and promoting the appreciation of local history, as well as marking those historic sites and structures deemed worthy of preservation for either historical or architectural reasons.

“The number of historical structures that might be affected will vary from city to city,” Foerster told the Courier. “Montgomery has a large number of them. They have their own historical district, where they focus on preserving and protecting the historical homes.”

City council is expected to discuss more on the program during a meeting in March.