Posted on: Tuesday, January 15, 2002

Waiver sought for assessment appeal fee

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer

City Councilman John Henry Felix is proposing that the city waive the $25 property assessment appeal fee for homeowners whose property value increased more than 10 percent from last year.

Felix introduced the bill after hearing from some of the 260,000 O'ahu property owners who received assessment notices last month.

Today is the deadline for property owners to appeal their assessments. City Councilman Duke Bainum has asked Mayor Jeremy Harris to extend the deadline by two months in response to homeowner complaints and questions.

Harris had indicated he was open to the extension, and the council has the authority to change the date on its own. City Budget and Fiscal Services Director Carroll Takahashi said: "We don't have a problem with doing it. It requires an ordinance change."

Takahashi said the administration must report to the council the number of appeals and the disputed amounts. The assessment list must be certified by Jan. 28, she said, so postponing one deadline would affect others.

Council Chairman Jon Yoshi-mura and Council Budget Chairman Steve Holmes are expected to announce today that the council will recommend that real property tax rates stay the same. Holmes indicated last week that the council was inclined to keep rates down.

If property tax rates stay the same, those with higher assessed values still will pay more.

In cases where the assessed values have increased more than 20 percent, Felix favors a detailed explanation of how the assessment was reached.

Felix said the information would make the process more user-friendly. Filing an appeal will entitle homeowners to a hearing before one of two city Real Property Tax Appeal boards. Homeowners also can take an appeal directly to the Tax Appeal Court.