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?'1 0I <br /> AL KONISHI = W~: I-_ rr ~~ONSTANCE R KIRIU <br /> L..~ ' Legislative Auditor <br /> 03 NDU Rf~ 9 58 <br /> JAY MENDE . ~~'"w <br /> Depuh• County Clerk <br /> County ofHawai`i C N~~, ~~_'''ta;,,~p;,gll <br /> Office of the County C~ <br /> 25 Aupuni Stree! <br /> Hi[o. Hawaii 96720 <br /> Telephone: (808) 961-8386 Facsirriile: (808J 961-8572 <br /> November 4, 2003 <br /> <br /> TO: Council Members ~ <br /> FROM: Constance R. Kiriu, e`C gislative Auditor <br /> Rory Flynn, Fiscal Program Review Auditor <br /> Rodney Oshiro, Legislative Analyst ~ <br /> RE: Bill Nos. 174, 175 and 176 <br /> Home Exemptions; Valuation; Nonspeculative Residential Use Assessment <br /> <br /> The Council has been forwarded three real property tax relief (benefit) Bill Nos. 174 (Home Exemptions), <br /> 175 (Valuation) and 176 (Nonspeculative Residential Use Assessment). All three bills target the <br /> homeowner in Hawaii County. The following questions and comments are submitted to enable the <br /> Council to examine the justification and intent of these bills. Consideration of the questions below may <br /> assist the council and the administration in assembling the data needed to analyze these amendments. <br /> For policy makers, the rationale is crucial to explain to constituents and will be important if and when <br /> changes in the economic, social or political climate compel future analysis. <br /> PURPOSE AND INTENT <br /> • What do the bills attempt to accomplish? Purpose and intent should be included in bill. <br /> • What are the metrics for assessing whether these bills will accomplish the anticipated tax relief? <br /> • Should abudget/expenditure metric analysis trigger a formula for tax relief? <br /> • For purposes of clarity, shouldn't we examine the idea of "tax benefits?" Is it the business of <br /> government to confer special tax benefits to targeted classes of citizens or to provide common <br /> essential services for all? <br /> • How do these homeowner bills fit into the bigger picture of property taxation? <br /> • Have other tax classes been reviewed for fairness and impacts (hotel/resort, apartment, <br /> commercial, industrial)? <br /> What real property tax tools, rules or laws will affect the tax payer? When? How? (i.e., <br /> market driven assessments, comparable homesite valuations) Are any of these tools, rules or laws <br /> factored in to the proposed bills? 'f <br /> Comm. No. ` <br /> Ref. To•Pf°0e ~ <br /> Rif. Uate <br /> <br />