GT 0009 - Hawaii County Code Amendment Suggestions

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County Charter Amendments suggestions (submitted by R. Janis Parker): Pursuant to Hawaii County Code Section 19-36 (5), "The director shall have the authority to extend the period for the remission of taxes for property that was wholly or partially damaged or destroyed for the percentage of the property which was affected by such disaster, for a period not to exceed one year after the tax year in which the disaster took place.",said option shall be exercised by the director unilaterally to the benefit of property owners having suffered said losses, as it is likely that a majority of said owners are not aware of, and have not been notified of the proper procedures, that they may claim a refund of paid taxes upon destroyed properties. Further, in the interest of fairness, economic recovery and stimulus, to encourage property owners who have left the island to return, and to help make whole property owners (of every type, not only personal residence), as much as possible, who suffered losses during the lower Puna Leilani/ Kapoho 2018 eruption, the following shall be provided to owners of record who the County Real Property Tax Office sent letters of total destruction, or significant reduction in property values: 1) Using eruption recovery monies, the county will send checks directly to owners of record for: a) paid real property taxes, prorated according to date of loss; and b) one-half, or at minimum one-quarter, of the assessed value, showing on the records of the County Real Property Department as of the date of loss. 2) If any such checks are returned, and owners are unable to be found, following due diligence by the County Real Property Department, then any such surplus of unredeemed monies, shall be applied first to all expenses incurred by the director and real property department, said shall be met out of the surplus moneys, and any further surpluses shall return to said eruption recovery fund. Any County Department which, at the close of its fiscal year, shows a surplus in its budget, shall not have said funds removed or depleted, but instead, to encourage thriftiness and economy in governmental operations, said Department shall automatically have said surplus rolled over into the subsequent fiscal year, without penalty or reduction in its annual budget. If a particular Department manages, through economy and good budgeting of expenses, to show a surplus for a period of three years, then said Department's employees shall each receive a bonus of up to 10% (ten percent), but in any event not less than 3% (three percent) of their monthly salaries, payable at the close of said fiscal year, plus two months' time, to allow for internal assessments, confirmation of said surplus, and bonus checks to be issued. Any amounts beyond said bonuses which remain in said Department's surplus budget, shall return to the general operating fund for the following fiscal year. Hawaii County Code Section 19-42. Same; tax deed; redemption, shall be amended to include GT -009