HomeMy WebLinkAboutCurrier, Jeff
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Jeff Currier <jeff.currier@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 7, 2026 6:22 PM
To:Council Testimony
Cc:jeff currier; Windi Robinson
Subject:Testimony in OPPOSITION to Bill 147 (Short-Term Vacation Rentals)
To the Committee Chair and Members of the Hawai ʻ i County Council,
My name is Jeff Currier, and I am a homeowner and resident of Kona Bay Estates in Kailua-Kona. I am
writing to testify in OPPOSITION to Bill 147 as currently proposed.
My property is owner-occupied, and I have no interest in operating a short-term vacation rental.
However, under Bill 147, my zone would become newly eligible for STVR permitting. I am concerned
about the downstream effect this will have on my property taxes, specifically through rising assessed
value.
As STVR-permitted homes become more common in residential zones like mine, investor buyers are
often willing to pay a premium for the rental income potential these permits create. Because county
assessments rely heavily on comparable sales data, this investor activity can pull up assessed values
across the entire neighborhood — including for owner-occupants like myself who have no plans to rent
and receive none of the rental income benefit. While the Home Exemption's 3% annual assessment cap
offers some protection, it does not eliminate the long-term upward pressure this creates on baseline
property values and, eventually, tax bills for longtime residents.
I am not testifying against short-term rentals in general, nor against neighbors who rely on them for
income. My concern is narrower: Bill 147 does not appear to account for the tax burden it may place on
owner-occupants in newly-opened residential zones who are not participating in the STVR market at all.
I respectfully ask the Council to:
1. Require an assessed-value and tax-impact study specific to residential zones being newly opened
to STVR use under this bill, before any final vote.
2. Consider protections for owner-occupied, non-participating homeowners in these zones, such as
additional assessment safeguards or a defined review process for residents who believe their
assessed value is being driven up by neighboring STVR activity.
3. More broadly reconsider whether unhosted STVR use should be expanded into residential zoning
districts at all, given the cumulative effect on housing costs and long-term residents.
Thank you for considering my testimony.
Respectfully,
Jeff Currier
75-5515 Kona Bay Drive
Kona Bay Estates, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
jeff.currier@gmail.com
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