§ 1202-e. Hotel or motel taxes in Schenectady county. (1)
Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, the county
of Schenectady is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt and amend
local laws imposing in such county a tax, in addition to any other tax
authorized and imposed pursuant to this article, such as the legislature
has or would have the power and authority to impose upon persons
occupying hotel or motel rooms in such county. The rates of such tax
shall be five percent of the per diem rental rate for each room
provided, however, such tax shall not be applicable to a permanent
resident of such hotel or motel. For the purposes of this section the
term "permanent resident" shall mean a person occupying any room or
rooms in a hotel or motel for at least ninety consecutive days.

(2) Such tax may be collected and administered by the county
commissioner of finance or other fiscal officers of Schenectady county
by such means and in such manner as other taxes which are now collected
and administered by such officers or as otherwise may be provided by
such local law.

(3) Such local laws may provide that any tax imposed shall be paid by
the person liable therefor to the owner of the hotel or motel room
occupied or to the person entitled to be paid the rent or charge for the
hotel or motel room occupied for and on account of the county of
Schenectady imposing the tax and that such owner or person entitled to
be paid the rent or charge shall be liable for the collection and
payment of the tax; and that such owner or person entitled to be paid
the rent or charge shall have the same right in respect to collecting
the tax from the person occupying the hotel or motel room, or in respect
to nonpayment of the tax by the person occupying the hotel or motel
room, as if the tax were a part of the rent or charge and payable at the
same time as the rent or charge; provided, however, that the county
commissioner of finance or other fiscal officers of the county,
specified in such local law, shall be joined as a party in any action or
proceeding brought to collect the tax by the owner or by the person
entitled to be paid the rent or charge.

(4) Such local laws may provide for the filing of returns and the
payment of the tax on a monthly basis or on the basis of any longer or
shorter period of time.

(5) This section shall not authorize the imposition of such tax upon
any of the following:

a. The state of New York, or any public corporation (including a
public corporation created pursuant to agreement or compact with another
state or the dominion of Canada), improvement district or other
political subdivision of the state;

b. The United States of America, insofar as it is immune from
taxation;

c. Any corporation or association, or trust, or community chest, fund
or foundation organized and operated exclusively for religious,
charitable or educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to
children or animals, and no part of the net earnings of which inures to
the benefit of any private shareholder or individual and no substantial
part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise
attempting to influence legislation; provided, however, that nothing in
this paragraph shall include an organization operated for the primary
purpose of carrying on a trade or business for profit, whether or not
all of its profits are payable to one or more organizations described in
this paragraph.

(6) Any final determination of the amount of any tax payable hereunder
shall be reviewable for error, illegality or unconstitutionality or any
other reason whatsoever by a proceeding under article seventy-eight of
the civil practice law and rules if application therefor is made to the
supreme court within thirty days after the giving of the notice of such
final determination, provided, however, that any such proceeding under
article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules shall not be
instituted unless:

a. The amount of any tax sought to be reviewed, with such interest and
penalties thereon as may be provided for by local law or regulation
shall be first deposited and there is filed an undertaking, issued by a
surety company authorized to transact business in this state and
approved by the superintendent of financial services of this state as to
solvency and responsibility, in such amount as a justice of the supreme
court shall approve to the effect that if such proceeding be dismissed
or the tax confirmed the petitioner will pay all costs and charges which
may accrue in the prosecution of such proceeding or;

b. At the option of the petitioner such undertaking may be in a sum
sufficient to cover the taxes, interests and penalties stated in such
determination plus the costs and charges which may accrue against it in
the prosecution of the proceeding, in which event the petitioner shall
not be required to pay such taxes, interest or penalties as a condition
precedent to the application.

(7) Where any tax imposed hereunder shall have been erroneously,
illegally or unconstitutionally collected and application for the refund
thereof duly made to the proper fiscal officer or officers, and such
officer or officers shall have made a determination denying such refund,
such determination shall be reviewable by a proceeding under article
seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules, provided, however,
that such proceeding is instituted within thirty days after the giving
of the notice of such denial, that a final determination of tax due was
not previously made, and that an undertaking is filed with the proper
fiscal officer or officers in such amount and with such sureties as a
justice of the supreme court shall approve to the effect that if such
proceeding be dismissed or the tax confirmed, the petitioner will pay
all costs and charges which may accrue in the prosecution of such
proceeding.

(8) Except in the case of a wilfully false or fraudulent return with
intent to evade the tax, no assessment of additional tax shall be made
after the expiration of more than three years from the date of the
filing of a return, provided, however, that where no return has been
filed as provided by law the tax may be assessed at any time.

(9) Revenues resulting from the imposition of tax authorized by this
section shall be paid into the treasury of the county of Schenectady and
shall be credited to and deposited in the general fund of the county;
the net collections therefrom shall thereafter be allocated by the board
of representatives of Schenectady county only for direct tourism
promotional activities, and for the promotion and development of the
performing and visual arts in the county of Schenectady, as the
cornerstone of the visitor and tourism industry in Schenectady county.

(10) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to
any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, the remainder of this
section and the application of such provision to other persons or
circumstances shall not be affected thereby.