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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0962.012 2018-2020 C(3UN"1'YLEPK110 COUNTY OF HAWAI°I (.5t 20 CEIcomm,% Ti � T Dear County Council: Date 0 2 202 This testimony is submitted on behalf of the following homeowners in Hawaii County in opposition to Resolution No. 658-20. Julie A. Wrigley James Mahoney Ann Marie Mahoney Rick Holley Kandy Holley David Keyes Judy Runstad Jon Runstad We are all homeowners in the Hualalai Community in Hawaii County. We all spend significant time each year in the County. Although we have our primary residences elsewhere, we also consider ourselves members of and contributors to the Big Island community. These contributions are both personal in the form of public service, in which some of us contribute our time and/or support financially, and economic in the form of high property taxes each year and through purchase of goods and services that helps provide jobs for permanent residents. It saddens us that we believe we have been targeted by the County and unfairly discriminated against because we are not permanent residents of the County. Specifically Resolution No. 658- 20 seeks to raise property taxes by over 30%on our property values over$2 million. By definition, the tax increase only applies to second homes valued at over$2 million, In other words, it appears to be laser-focused to apply to non-permanent residents like us. Surely the vast majority of homeowners (likely well over 90%)that the tax increase applies to are non- permanent residents. Equally disturbing is that appears to be the intent of the tax--i.e. to tax high value properties that are not owned by permanent residents. It also applies to homeowners like us without consideration for how long we spend in the County, how much we contribute to the community, or whether we use our residences mainly or exclusively for our own personal use as opposed to owning investment properties to use as vacation rentals. We do not believe a discriminatory tax hike is the appropriate way to raise funds or to treat homeowners like us who have contributed to this Community and already pay substantial taxes. We also note that as part- time residents with high-value properties, we already financially subsidize permanent residents as we consume a disproportionately low amount of County services while already contributing a disproportionately high amount of the tax base. In addition to our personal interest in not having our taxes hiked, we also believe this tax increase is bad policy for the County. In light of COVID-19, non-permanent residents and potential non-permanent residents are going to be nervous for the foreseeable future about spending at least five hours on airplanes to visit their homes in Hawaii. Many will reconsider owning homes on the Big Island. If they do not spend time here, they won't consume goods and services and the economy and employment will suffer further. At this time the County ought to be thinking about how to welcome back non-permanent community members, rather than passing a discriminatory tax that makes them unwelcome and places additional economic obstacles to purchasing property here. Comm. No. Ref.To: �U Ref.pate JUN -3 2020 Finally, though it pains us to say, because of this tax hike's discriminatory nature, we will need to consider all options, including litigation against the County to challenge the tax. Right now we are actively considering a legal challenge to the tax. Litigation would, of course, not be in the best interests of anyone, particularly the County. We therefore hope that the County Council will reconsider the proposed tax hike in Resolution 658-20. Sincerely, /s/Julie A. Wrigley /s/James Mahoney Julie A. Wrigley James Mahoney /s/Ann Marie Mahoney /s/Rick Holley Ann Marie Mahoney Rick Holley /s/Kandy Holley /s/David Keyes Kandy Holley David Keyes /s/Jon Runstad /s/Judy Runstad Jon Runstad Judy Runstad