The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City and County Council Committee on Budget on April 4, 2023.
_____________
April 4, 2023
9 a.m.
Honolulu City Council Chambers
To: Honolulu City and County Council, Committee on Budget
Councilmember Radiant Cordero, Chair
Councilmember Matt Weyer, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
Bill 37 (2022) — RELATING TO REAL PROPERTY TAXATION
Comments Only
Dear Chair and Committee Members:
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to offer its comments on Bill 37 (2022), which would increase the income eligibility for the real property tax credit from $60,000 to $70,000.
We support increasing the value of the real property tax credit to assist lower-income homeowners.
One proposed amendment to this bill would increase the income eligibility for this credit to $90,000 — just less than 90% of the area median income in 2022.[1]
Another of the proposed amendments would increase its value to $80,000 — just less than 80% of AMI for 2022.[2]
On paper, Bill 38 is preferable to Bill 37, but we are sensitive to the idea that Bill 38 could prove somewhat harder to administer, since the income threshold would change each year.
Thus, while Bill 37 would not index the credit to changes in personal income, it would be a dramatic improvement above the status quo.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Sincerely,
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
_____________
[1] “Honolulu County Income Schedule by Family Size,” Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp., 2022, p. 16.
[2] Ibid.
