In September 2013 the Councilmembers of the City and County of Honolulu and Mayor Kirk Caldwell created a new real estate tax class. This class called Class I Residential A was intended to create a new tax class for property assessed at over 1 million dollars and rented out to tenants. Creating this class allowed the City to increase the tax on Landlords by 71% for tax year 2014-2015. The City decided to use the non-filing of the Claim For Home Exemption to place tax parcels into this class. The problem is the City estimated 7000- 8000 residents who lived in their own homes had never filed this Claim for Home Exemption. Most of these appear to be elderly (Kupuna) residents living on a fixed income. This vulnerable segment of our population is being taxed at a rate 71% higher for 2014-2015 than their neighbors who had filed the form. So far the City is refusing to make a Retroactive Adjustment. Our Petition simply ask the City to treat everyone the same by adjusting the 2014-2015 tax for anyone filing the Claim For Home Exemption by September 30, 2014
We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to amend Resolution 14-53, CD1 and any related laws to recognize that all residents legally present for the period of July 1, 2014 to June 31, 2015 be taxed as Class A residents (just like our neighbors) at a rate of $3.50/$1000 for Tax Year 2014-2015 by filing a Claim For Home Exemption. by September 30,2014
