Glossary of Terms
Bonds – issued in the name of the IDA, but not an obligation of the IDA.
- Taxable Bond– for profit non-manufacturing projects
- Tax Exempt Bond– for manufacturing project qualified under IRS Tax Code. Bondholder is able to exclude the interest income from federal income tax.
CDBG – Community Development Block Grant. Funds received by Monroe County from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A portion of the allocation is set aside for economic development projects. Loans or loans to grants are allocated for business projects.
CHOICE – Core Housing Owner Incentive Exemption Program – For the creation of market-rate / owner-occupied residential units in the Center City District.
CUE – Commercial Urban Exemption Program offers tax exemptions for mixed-use conversion projects in the City of Rochester’s Center City District.
Enhanced JobsPlus – Tax abatement program offered through COMIDA which abates property taxes on a sliding scale over a 10 year period. To qualify for this program, investment must be at least $15 Million and 100 new jobs must be created.
EAF – An Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) is filled out in conjunction with a COMIDA application to determine the impact of the project on the environment. Approval typically goes through the affected taxing jurisdiction and a finding is issued
EquiPlus – Program used in conjunction with GreatRate and GreatRebate to exempt purchases from sales tax.
ESD – Empire State Development. New York State’s Department of Economic Development which works with COMIDA on larger economic development projects.
FOIL – Freedom of Information Law. Records of public agencies are subject to public inspection under FOIL. A formal request must be submitted to COMIDA in order to request inspection of documents and files. All FOIL requests are reviewed by counsel.
GML – General Municipal Law. IDAs were formed under Article 18-A of the New York State GML.
GRE – Greater Rochester Enterprise. A public/private partnership established to professionally market the Rochester Metropolitan Area as a competitive, high-profile region for business location and growth.
GreatRate – Program administered through Monroe County Industrial Development Corp. which offers businesses a rebate on interest paid on a bank loan or a lease in return for job creation. Business must purchase at least $50,000 in qualified equipment. Program may be used in conjunction with COMIDA’s EquiPlus.
GreatRebate – Program administered through Monroe County Industrial Development Corp. which offers businesses a rebate on a capital investment in return for job creation. Business must purchase at least $50,000 in qualified equipment with cash. Program may be used in conjunction with COMIDA’s EquiPlus.
Green JobsPlus – Tax abatement program offered through COMIDA which abates taxing on a sliding scale over a 14 year period in return for a 10% increase in jobs, provided the building meets LEED certification.
IMPLAN – Impact Analysis for Planning is an economic impact modeling system utilized in INFORMAnalytics which takes into account the benefit to the community in property taxes paid, sales tax as generated, and income taxes paid versus the cost of any exemptions related to the project.
INFORMAnalytics – Program used by staff to evaluate benefit to cost of COMIDA projects. This was developed with assistance from Center for Governmental Research.
JobsPlus – Tax abatement program offered through COMIDA which abates property taxes on a sliding scale over a 10 year period in return for a 10% increase in jobs created over a 3 year period.
Lease/Leaseback – IDA transaction in which no bond is issued. This is a means for the IDA to take nominal title to exempt the project from sales tax, mortgage tax and offer a PILOT.
LeasePlus – Tax abatement offered through COMIDA which abates property taxes for projects for use by a college or university, or medical related facility in which a 501 (c) 3 leases from a for-profit entity.
LEED Certification – Designation by the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design pertaining to a buildings impact on the environment.
Local Labor – Labor from Monroe County or any of the following 8 counties (Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming or Yates).
MCIDC – Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation. Certified Development Corporation managed by County Economic Development which administers SBA 504 loans, GreatRate, GreatRebate and a revolving loan fund, and several other programs.
Negative Declaration (neg. dec.) – determination that a project will not have a negative impact on the environment. This is part of the SEQRA process.
PILOT – Payment In Lieu Of Taxes. A negotiated agreement between the IDA and the benefited company to make tax payment at a reduced rate over time to affected taxing jurisdictions where a project is located.
Public Hearing – The GML requires IDA to hold a public hearing in the affected tax jurisdiction should the benefits of the project be in excess of $100,000. The IDA must give at least a ten day notice of the public hearing and a notice must be provided to the CEO of the affected tax jurisdiction.
RLF – Revolving loan fund.
Section 485-B – Real property tax law, at local option, authorizes a declining 10 year partial exemption from real property taxes and special ad valorem levies for non-residential property. An investment of at $10,000 is required.
SEQRA – State Environmental Quality Review Act. By state law, before an IDA can provide benefits to a project (typically a construction project), the project must be reviewed (typically by a town which acts as the lead agency) to determine the impact of the project on the environment. A finding is issued by the lead agency.
Shelter Rent PILOT – Payment in Lieu of Tax agreement for low income or student housing in which PILOT payments are determined using a formula of gross rents collected less utilities times 10%.
SBA 504 – Federal program administered by MCIDC which allows a company to finance a project (building or equipment) by investing 10% of the project as equity. The remainder of the financing comes from a bank (50%) and SBA debenture proceeds (40%).