North Shore NewsMahalo to everyone who attended the recent community meeting about the North Shore First Responders Hub. I appreciate Directors Ireland and Lager from Emergency Services and Ocean Safety for joining us and sharing their commitment to enhancing first responder services on the North Shore. We are currently working with the administration to determine how to best utilize the funding allocated in this year’s budget and will continue to keep you updated as we make progress.
In legislative news, I have co-introduced Bill 45 (2024) with Councilmember Cordero to raise the low-income tax credit threshold to $100,000. This credit caps the property tax for eligible recipients at 3% of property titleholders’ income. Please note that we raised the threshold from $60,000 to $80,000 last year, so if you are newly eligible, don’t forget to file by the September 30 deadline (the same deadline for filing your homeowner occupant and other exemptions). For more information, you can visit https://www.realpropertyhonolulu.com.
Additionally, for our kupuna on fixed incomes, I’ve introduced Bill 43 (2024) with Councilmember Okimoto. This bill would allow qualifying homeowners to pay their property taxes in four smaller installments instead of two larger ones, easing the burden of these payments. Chair Waters and I have also co-introduced Bill 47 (2024), modeled after Maui’s ‘āina kupuna bill, which would provide tax relief for generational properties.
Councilmember Val Okimoto and I have also introduced Resolution 24-198 to establish a Homeless Solutions Advisory Committee. This task force will bring together experts from various fields, including housing, healthcare, and criminal justice, to propose innovative policies and promote public awareness. We must work together to tackle homelessness and preserve the quality of life our communities deserve.I also wanted to note that Bill 46 (2024) was recently introduced by Chair Waters and Councilmember Cordero. The bill proposes an empty homes tax on housing units that are not utilized for at least six months out of the year. The goal of the bill is to reduce real estate speculation and encourage the use of Oʻahu’s 30,000+ empty homes for housing. The original bill includes several exemptions to protect our resident families, and we will continue to gather feedback on the language to avoid any unintended consequences.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at (808) 768-5002 or email me at mweyer@honolulu.gov.