LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council has been considering a bill originally proposed by the county Cost Control Commission that would significantly raise the minimum real property taxes charged to Kaua‘i residents who live on Hawaiian homestead lands or qualify
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council has been considering a bill originally proposed by the county Cost Control Commission that would significantly raise the minimum real property taxes charged to Kaua‘i residents who live on Hawaiian homestead lands or qualify for certain tax exemptions.
“For 18 years I paid $25 for our tax rate,” Anahola resident Amanda Kaleiohi said. “It seems that now, for whatever reasons … greed compelled to raise our taxes 500 percent, from $25 to $150.”
Kaleiohi lives on Hawaiian homestead lands, provided by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to Native Hawaiians who have at least 50 percent Hawaiian blood quantum.
Additionally, the county on July 1, 2011, implemented a solid waste collection assessment fee, which is billed through the real property tax bill. To Kaleiohi, the trash collection fee “is like a tax,” and increased her tax bill more than five fold. “We are paying $169,” she said.
County officials have said in the past that the tax assessment was not a tax increase. Yet, the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, released by the county in September 2009, states the Solid Waste program is funded by the county General Fund, and “residents pay for solid waste services via property taxes.”
“The county provides the following services from the revenue received from property taxes: refuse collection, fire and police protection, street maintenance and lighting, sewer service and recreational facilities and activities,” states the ISWMP.
Councilman Tim Bynum said the proposal to increase the minimum RPT came from the Cost Control Commission.
“Under our rules we have to entertain it,” he said.
One of the arguments from the commission is that it costs the county $75 to process the taxes. But he also said Kaleiohi had a valuable argument.
“This Cost Control Commission is supposed to cut cost, but now they’re trying to raise revenues,” said Kaleiohi, adding the Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. is the one pushing for the bill.
Bynum, however, said he didn’t know if Carvalho is promoting, and reiterated that it was the commission that sent the bill.
Bill 2444 had already been deferred on Nov. 8, and was again deferred Tuesday because the county “tax people,” as Council Chair Jay Furfaro put it, were preparing tax assessments and therefore were not available to answers questions.
Visit the website www.kauai.gov for more information.
We corrected the spelling of Amanda Kaleiohi’s name.
