It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. {ADD Homestead exemptions in the town of Lincoln. -- ADD} Notwithstanding any other provisions of the general or special laws to the contrary, the town administrator, upon approval of the town council of the town of Lincoln, is hereby authorized to annually fix the amount of homestead exemptions with respect to assessed value from local taxation on taxable real property used for residential purposes in the town of Lincoln and to grant homestead exemptions to such residential real estate in an amount not to exceed thirty-five percent (35%) of the assessed value. Any such exemption shall only apply to residential property improved with a dwelling house. Any such dwelling house shall consist of no more than four (4) dwelling units. This exemption shall not apply to any mixed use properties containing partial commercial or business uses and shall not apply to vacant land.

SECTION 2. {ADD Changes of use -- Effect on exemption. -- ADD} Exemptions for properties which experience an otherwise disqualifying change in use during the calendar year shall be determined and remain qualified for exemption according to the use in place as of December 31 of the year preceding the use change. Any qualified exemption shall remain in effect until the following December 31. No exemption will become effective for a property which experiences an otherwise qualifying change of use until the following December 31.

SECTION 3. {ADD Approval of town electors. -- ADD} Notwithstanding any general or public law to the contrary, the question of the approval of this act shall be submitted to the electors of the town at a special municipal election to be held on the first Tuesday in June, 1994. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: "Shall an act entitled 'An act relating to homestead exemption in the town of Lincoln' be approved?" and the warning for the election shall contain the question to be submitted. From the time the special election is warned and until it is held, it shall be the duty of the town clerk to keep a copy of the act available at her office for public inspection, but the validity of the election shall not be affected by this requirement.

SECTION 4. {ADD Severability. -- ADD} The invalidity of any section or sections or parts of any section or sections shall not affect the validity of the remainder of the act.

SECTION 5. {ADD Effective dates. -- ADD} This section and section 3 shall take effect upon passage of this act. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority of those voting on the question at the election prescribed by the foregoing section.