HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0923.014 2014-2016 October 4, 2016
RE: Testimony Against Bills 218 and 219
October 4, 2016
Name: Wesley Takai --;`
Dear Members of the Hawaii County Council: "c
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This is my testimony against Bills 218 and 219. A similar written testimony was »' K:
submitted at the September 20 hearing in Kona. It is my belief that these bills show; —.
be voted against and defeated today for the following reasons:
• As a retired real property employee, I am very familiar with the provisions of the
nondedicated agricultural use assessment and the commercial agricultural use
dedication programs as I worked with these for over 34 years.
• These two programs may not be perfect but are functional and accepted by the
agricultural community as written.
• It is unwise to continue to spend more time on these two bills that are unpopular
with..the agricultural community who are directly affected by the proposed
changes.
• There are only two more months left in the current council term. It would be
unfair to the upcoming council members to be handed these bills should they be
deferred or continued which may likely happen if it is not defeated today,
especially when the authors of both bills will no longer be in office.
• It would be much wiser for the council to spend the next two months working on
and finalizing issues that are not so controversial and will positively benefit the
citizens of this county.
• If a member of the new council feels that the agricultural code should be
amended, let that person write a new bill. At least the council will have much
more time to review the new proposal.
I had submitted other comments at the finance committee meeting on July 18, 2016
and to the agricultural workshop on September 8, 2016. I'll be available if you want to
ask me any questions.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Corm , 1
Ref. To: (c-e.
WESLEY TAKAI Ref. Date OCT 0 4 201B
Retired County Real Property Tax Administrator
SUBJECT: Comments to Proposed Council Bill 219
Public Hearing: Monday, July 18, 2016
BILL 219 &Bill 218
These are pencil pushing bills and many farmers are not pencil
pushers. Many of the farmers are doing whatever they can to put
food on the table and some money to invest for their families'
future. Please remember the old saying: Do not criticize someone
else until you have walked in their shoes? As I have been saying
for all the previous bills that have come up on these agricultural
issues, if it is not broken, don't fix it. I truly believe that the real
property division has recently started to implement a workable
agricultural use inspection program that was Recommendation
# on the IAAO audit of the county's real property tax program.
How many of you have picked a bunch of bananas rather than
going to the super market or farmers market for your bananas. I
have picked hundreds of bunches of bananas for years to give to
friends and relatives and it is not an easy job. Based on my
experience, I think farmers are hard working and these pencil
pushing bills are really a disservice to these hard working citizens
of our community. They really need to be given some slack as they
also pay real property taxes.
It is easy for higher paid officer workers such as attorneys to
criticize that these farmers are getting away from paying their fair
share of taxes but have you ever been in the shoes of the Kona
coffee farmer who toils over his coffee fields after coming back
from his job at one of the hotels? Being raised in a plantation
camp and as a real property appraiser with the county real
property tax office seeing the hardships endured by those coffee
farmers for almost 20 years, I truly believe in the intent of the
non-agricultural use program passed by the legislators in 1973.
The purpose of Act 175, (state the intent) is still very applicable
today to the coffee farmers and all other hardworking farmers and
ranchers in this county. As I have mentioned in several of my past
testimonies on this subject, if it is not broken, don't fix it.
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