Honolulu Charter Commission considering vague ‘empty homes’ tax ballot measure

from Grassroot Institute

The Grassroot Institute has testified that taxing “empty” homes would be a bureaucratic nightmare and could raise housing costs in the long run

The Honolulu Charter Commission is in its final few weeks of deciding which charter amendments to put on the ballot for voters to consider in November, and one of the proposals still moving forward should concern every Oahu homeowner and renter because it would direct the city to implement a so-called empty homes tax of at least 2% of a home's assessed value, with no cap on how high that rate could climb.

Ted Kefalas, the Grassroot Institute’s director of strategic campaigns, said the proposed charter amendment is vague on specifics, and it leaves the exemptions that would protect ordinary families to be decided later by the City Council, after voters have already approved the concept.

Grassroot’s testimony on the measure also notes that the language that would appear on the ballot is equally concerning.

Additionally, Kefalas said a nearly identical tax approved by San Francisco voters has been ruled unconstitutional in court and is still being held up by appeals, which means Honolulu could be walking into a similar costly legal battle.

The Charter Commission will discuss the empty homes tax proposal again at its next hearing this coming Monday, July 13, and commissioners need to hear from local residents who believe this is a bad idea. If you live on Oahu, please take two minutes to let the commissioners know what you think.

LINK: SUBMIT TESTIMONY HERE