The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Maui County Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee on Oct. 29, 2024.
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Oct. 29, 2024, 9 a.m.
Council Chamber, Kalana O Maui Building
To: Maui County Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee
Yuki Lei Sugimura, Chair
Tasha Kama, Vice-Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: BILL 153 — RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS ON PROPERTIES IMPACTED BY THE AUGUST 2023 WILDFIRES
Aloha Chair Sugimura, Vice-Chair Kama and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 153 (2024), which would allow owners who had real property tax exemptions on properties that were destroyed in the wildfires to continue receiving those exemptions through December 1, 2026.
Right now, all properties that had exemptions — such as a home or nonprofit exemption — for tax year 2024 prior to the August 2023 wildfires will see those exemptions expire on Dec. 1, 2024.
Extending this deadline recognizes that the cleanup and rebuilding processes have been unpredictable and slow. Lahaina property owners should not face the risk of paying property taxes on land or buildings that they cannot legally rebuild or inhabit.
We thank the Committee and Mayor Richard Bissen for introducing this legislation.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
