CHEEKTOWAGA
Hospice willingly sheds tax exemption
Will pay $12,000 a year until 2032
Each year, businesses in Western New York huddle with lawyers or accountants, scrambling for ways to pay as little tax as possible.
The Center for Hospice & Palliative Care in Cheektowaga, though, despite being tax-exempt, is volunteering to pay its share.
Hospice has agreed to pay $12,000 per year to the Town of Cheektowaga from now until 2032.
“They realize that they do use the town’s services, such as fire [protection] and lighting, so it’s a win-win situation for both the town and hospice,” said Council Member Richard A. Zydel.
It is not uncommon for nonprofit agencies to enter into such payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements, as organizations such as People Inc. have done in the past.
Hospice has facilities on Como Park Boulevard in Cheektowaga and recently built an adjoining Life Transitions facility on Bennett Road, which offers grief counseling and help with coping. Hospice has been paying $10,000 per year in voluntary taxes for that site, but upped the figure by $2,000 when it constructed the additional building.
The $12,000 annual payment will distribute $6,000 to the Bellevue Fire District and $1,650 to the general lighting district. Although Hospice employs its own refuse-removal service, $4,350 of the money will go to the garbage district.
“It’s a beautiful organization,” Zydel said. “They’re a great neighbor, and we’re proud to have them.”
