HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0926.017 2018-2020 I
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From: Lizzy Laliberty
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2020 11:23 PM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Chung, Aaron; Eoff, Karen; David, Maile; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt;
Villegas, Rebecca; Lee Loy, Sue; Richards, Tim; Poindexter, Valerie
Subject: Support Bill 169
Aloha Councilmembers,
I am writing in strong support of Bill 169 to create a category of property in Hawaii County that will pay higher
property taxes. In this desperate time, either spending needs to be cut, or revenues need to be raised. Given the
bulk of Hawaii county's budget goes to payroll, it's imperative we continue to keep public employees on stable
ground. Folks who own second, third and more homes or other type of real estate are financially able to pay
higher taxes. They rely on the public sector as much, if not more than the rest of us in terms of airports, roads,
medical, utilities, waste removal, emergency services. It only make sense that if they own more, they should
pay more into the system that protects and safeguards their investment and way of life. Opponents of this bill
may claim that higher taxes will drive away investors and builders, but we can see that this is absolutely not the
case. Hawaii county still has one of the lowest property tax brackets in the US and a slight increase will give a
significant boost in revenue but not scare away investors. In fact, the city of Vancouver, Canada has not only
higher tax rates with no indication of slowing,but it's introduced a bill called the empty homes tax which taxes
homes vacant for more than 6 months of the year. Vancouver still has one of the tightest rental markets, and its
real estate sector continues to grow each year. Hawaii county should follow Vancouver's excellent example and
tax wealthier homeowners. The working people of this county are counting on all of you to devise ways to
increase funding.
I thank you for your time and consideration. w N
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Aloha,
Elizabeth Laliberte 0
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Comm. o. _
1 Ref. To:
Ref. Mote MAY 12020