Posted on: Sunday, October 24, 2004

Kaua'i charter proposal would cap property tax

Advertiser Staff

Kaua'i County voters will be asked to vote on a proposed change to the County Charter that would cap owner-occupant property taxes.

If approved, homeowners who have lived in their current homes on or before June 30, 1999 would see their property taxes rolled back to what they paid in the 1998-99 fiscal year.

Owner-occupants who moved into their homes on or after July 1, 1999 would see their tax set at what they paid on the year they bought the home.

Increases thereafter would be capped at 2 percent per year or the retirement compensation adjustment used by the Social Security Administration, whichever is smaller.

The charter amendment proposal is the result of an initiative effort by the 'Ohana Kaua'i group, which gathered enough signatures to place the issue on the ballot.

The ballot question reads in part, " ... resident taxpayers should be equitably protected when there are significantly rising real estate values and government costs."

For a charter amendment to pass, "yes" votes must exceed "no" votes. Blank votes and spoiled ballots are not counted.