HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0241.008 1998-2000
Bonnie Goodell 808-967-7775 Ti 613/99 .820 AM = 2l2
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Bonnie Goodell Plannin for Sustainabi it
P.O. Box 8, Volcano HI 96785-0006 (808) 967-7775 (fax 8295) cma (r~~rp~c.r}g~ 1 4 7
tune :.1999 COON ~ . ~ f
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To: Members of the Counte Council COUNTI' OF I-i/31n/,gll
Subject: Repeal Hotne O~~ners Rate
For those of coo ~cillins to raise the Homeo~cner's Rate. consratulations on Buts. The
Homeo~cner's Rate needs to be eliminated and if it can onlc be done sraduallc. this is a
rood start.
If the Homeo~~ner's Rate encourages home o~cnership. it acticele discourases home
businesses. because aneone doing even the smallest business is supposed to lose their
elisibilih for the rate. It creates a nightmare of contradictions. It allo~cs so~~enunent
emplo}~ees to teleconunute ~cithout raisins their tapes. but someone running a home
business doing e~acth' the same activities must pa}~. It encourages people to hide instead
of sro~c [heu~ businesses.
The trend across the countn~ is to eneourase home businesses, because thec are an
important element of sustainable communities. Home businesses keep people in the
neishborhoods instead of commutins Ions distances. Thee reduce peak period traffic.
and shorten car trips. Thee make neishborhoods safer because residents are home
keeping an e}~e on the neighborhood.
Our tai rate scstetn is one of the chief impediments to sustainable communities.
Sustainable communities are communities in ~dticlt people can lice comfortable and cell
e~~en ~cithout automobiles. because all their daily needs oan be met ~cithin ~calkins
distance. Rational research sho~cs clear(c that chat that means communities more like
traditional small to~cns. ith chat planners call -'fine-stained mimed use° ~cithin each
neishborhood. The Homeo~cner s Rate discow-ages sustainable land use patterns. If ice
are e~~er to more foncard to~card sustainabilitc. some Council some time is eoins to hay e
to have the sots to repeal the Homeo~~rer's Rate.
Puna. ~~here there is cirtuallc no commercial land a~~ailable for the 56.000 house lots, is
according to the Dept of Health the most disadvantaged district in the state. That is the
result of land use planning and a tai rate sestem that are carefulle designed to punish
economic dereloptnent. ~ irtualh an}~one who lives there. unless thee have hundreds of
thousands of dollars to im est. is forced to operate illesalh~. in the "grae" econom} .
People stnrggling to make a licins are turned into criminals echo mac not advertise.
cannot incest if thec are successful. cannot hire emplo}'ees openl}~. This hieh cost of
"entre" into the econotne is one of the main predictors used be the A~~orld Bank for
economic decline. The Homeowners Rate is an important element of our design for
decline.
Comm. No. ~ ~l • ~Q
Fite No. TAX/RPT
Ref. To• P~esenfed COUNcr~
Ref. Date ~N RR 14.0