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Margaret Wille -'0tv.os p' Phone No. Hilo: (808)961-8027 cp.•_, '...4',.• Phone No. Waimea: (808) 887-2043 Council Member � . District 9-North and South Kohala ••- Fax No.: (808)887-2072 � - +c . . ••., E-Mail: mwille @co.hawaii.hi.us TE OF' P • ' HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawai`i Hawaii County Building Holomua Center West Hawaii Civic Center Bldg.A 25 Aupuni Street 64-1067 Mamalahoa Highway, Suite C-5 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy. Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Waimea, Hawaii 96743 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii,96740 STATUS REPORT FROM THE REAL PROPERTY TAX STAKEHOLDERS TASK FORCE May 29, 2014 The Real Property Tax Stakeholders' Task Force is continuing to work in collaboration with the Finance Department reviewing and assessing the recommendations of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) consultants. As part of its assessment, the Task Force is also considering ways to stimulate economic activities, such as consideration of a small business enterprise program that would afford some short-term real property tax relief for start- up small businesses. Our work comprises three interrelated components—intra-departmental matters, inter- governmental arrangements, and proposals for Council action. Since receipt of the IAAO report, the Department has on its own been working through many of the IAAO recommendations addressing intra-departmental, inter-governmental arrangements, and enforcement issues related to various IAAO recommendations. The Task Force will continue to support and monitor those administrative components and expects to detail the status of those administrative matters in the next report to the Council. In particular the Task Force has stressed how improved coordination with other governmental agencies will afford the County with improved means of enforcing the criteria for certain exemptions. For example, the Task Force intends to support one or more options to ensure compliance with the criteria for any homeowner exemption. The homeowner's exemption (HCC § 19-71) provides a partial reduction in real property taxes to those who make this island their home. Various options to ensure that those seeking this exemption do in fact reside here, and don't simply intend or plan to reside here are being considered, e.g. require that the applicant document residency such as by way of a drivers license, voter registration, or by having filed a resident status income tax return. The Task Force is taking a look at the homeowner exemption program in the County of Maui that is based on tax return resident status with enforcement based on information available from the state tax office. Following the prolonged delays that resulted from the Sunshine Law ramifications, the Task Force did jump onto one issue of particular concern to the Finance Department, which would assist in its proper appraisal of commercial properties—to wit, allowing the Department to use Serving the Interests of the People of Our Island Hawai`i County Is An Equal Opportunity Provider And Employer