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January 29, 2018 <br />Page 2 <br />major portion of our residents, affecting renters and homeowners alike. Property taxes, <br />after all, are not simply absorbed by a landlord or business; they are passed on, in <br />whole or in part, to the tenant or customer. The GET, a regressive tax, is paid by all. <br />HB 1665 would amend the amount of transient accommodations tax revenues <br />allocated to the counties from a specified sum to a percentage of the revenues <br />collected. If the counties' share of the TAT were restored, Hawaii County would not <br />need to impose increases on property, fuel or vehicle weight taxes. <br />If the Legislature locked in those numbers now, there also would be the added <br />benefit that you would not have to spend so much time dealing with complaining <br />counties, year after year. In addition, we all could plan our future budgets with greater <br />certainty. <br />My priority this session is to seek an increase in the TAT, and that goal is shared <br />by the Council of Mayors and the Hawaii State Association of Counties (i.e., the County <br />Councils). Since the State and the counties serve the same constituents, it is important <br />that we continue to work as partners in meeting the needs of our communities. As <br />demand for services is ever increasing (and so is the cost of those services), it is <br />equally important that revenue be appropriately shared so that the demands can be met <br />to the best of our combined abilities. <br />The chart below reflects how small a portion of the TAT comes to Hawaii <br />County, and how the percentage has shrunk over the years. <br />Please help us help our fellow citizens by restoring this vital component of the <br />County budget to its original percentage. <br />Re <br />pectfutly submitted, <br />Harry Ki <br />Mayor, County of Hawaii <br />County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. <br />