The Council recently approved an FY2014 budget that increased taxes by $129 million over last year and $214 million over the taxes it collected in FY2022. This two-year tax increase amounts to an increase of 53% above the taxes it collected in FY2022. Maui County has far more money than it can responsibly and effectively spend.
WE DO NOT NEED ADDITIONAL TAXES!!!
While creating infrastructure to facilitate affordable housing is a noble intent. Additional General Excise Tax that would actually increase costs for everything Maui’s residents spend money on, including, food, medication, rent, and all services. And is not the proper method of financing such a endeavor. Not to mention, the County has no internal resources for building such infrastructure and would need to outsource all such projects to likely one private company who is the only entity that would be able to bid on such projects. The rail project on Oahu is the best example of a well intentioned project gone awry. And that began 13 years ago with a 1/2 cent GET increase.
Dear Committee Chair Sugimura, Council Chair Lee and Committee Members,
My name is Roy Vandoorn, I am a resident of Wailuku and I representing myself. I am not a paid lobbyist.
I am writing in support of the GET Surcharge. Thank you, Chair Lee, for introducing Bill 49.
I understand the none of you ran for public office to raise taxes. I don’t like paying taxes and certainly don’t want to pay more in taxes.
I am also aware that General Excise Tax is a regressive tax and as such hurts the lower income earners the most. I have used this argument in the past to argue against GET tax increases.
Having said that, Maui has a housing crisis. Obviously not news to any of you. For years when the question was asked, who pays for growth? The answer was the developers, which really meant the home buyers or the renters of the new units. This also hurts the lower income earner the most by increasing rents and making homeownership impossible for many of our residents.
I propose that the answer to the question, who pays for growth change to all of us. We all need to pitch in to help address the housing crisis. When I say “all” this includes our visitors. The one tax we all pay is the General Excise Tax. The state via HB 1363, now Act 48, is giving Maui one last chance to implement the GET surcharge which all the other counites in Hawaii have already implemented. The state is also allowing the money to be used for housing infrastructure.
I support the implementation of the 0.5% surcharge as long as the money is directed toward housing infrastructure that will support the development of workforce and affordable housing.
As a resident of Pukalani and human services worker, I do not support BFED-74 to establish the General Excise Tax surcharge. I currently work as a case manager under the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Services division and serve as a member on the County’s Commission on Children and Youth. Every day I see Native Hawaiians and Maui born residents struggle to find and secure affordable housing to house themselves and their keiki. Any addition to taxes will greatly affect our already struggling families. To say these added funds will be used for infrastructure and in turn will “reduce the cost to the homebuyer” is not a solution to creating affordable housing opportunities for our most vulnerable residents. Funding is otherwise needed to create programs to give grants to Native Hawaiian and Maui born residents to obtain permanent housing on dwellings that are already here and established. When you look at the amount of abandoned property here, why would we need to destroy more natural resources and land in order to create more business opportunities for nonresidents potentially? I do not support this increase in tax that will only make it less affordable to live here now for those who were never destined to reap the benefits in future. I urge the board to take these concerns into consideration and not establish the surcharge for this intended purpose.
The Council recently approved an FY2014 budget that increased taxes by $129 million over last year and $214 million over the taxes it collected in FY2022. This two-year tax increase amounts to an increase of 53% above the taxes it collected in FY2022. Maui County has far more money than it can responsibly and effectively spend.
WE DO NOT NEED ADDITIONAL TAXES!!!
While creating infrastructure to facilitate affordable housing is a noble intent. Additional General Excise Tax that would actually increase costs for everything Maui’s residents spend money on, including, food, medication, rent, and all services. And is not the proper method of financing such a endeavor. Not to mention, the County has no internal resources for building such infrastructure and would need to outsource all such projects to likely one private company who is the only entity that would be able to bid on such projects. The rail project on Oahu is the best example of a well intentioned project gone awry. And that began 13 years ago with a 1/2 cent GET increase.
Just say no to this massive money grab.
Dear Committee Chair Sugimura, Council Chair Lee and Committee Members,
My name is Roy Vandoorn, I am a resident of Wailuku and I representing myself. I am not a paid lobbyist.
I am writing in support of the GET Surcharge. Thank you, Chair Lee, for introducing Bill 49.
I understand the none of you ran for public office to raise taxes. I don’t like paying taxes and certainly don’t want to pay more in taxes.
I am also aware that General Excise Tax is a regressive tax and as such hurts the lower income earners the most. I have used this argument in the past to argue against GET tax increases.
Having said that, Maui has a housing crisis. Obviously not news to any of you. For years when the question was asked, who pays for growth? The answer was the developers, which really meant the home buyers or the renters of the new units. This also hurts the lower income earner the most by increasing rents and making homeownership impossible for many of our residents.
I propose that the answer to the question, who pays for growth change to all of us. We all need to pitch in to help address the housing crisis. When I say “all” this includes our visitors. The one tax we all pay is the General Excise Tax. The state via HB 1363, now Act 48, is giving Maui one last chance to implement the GET surcharge which all the other counites in Hawaii have already implemented. The state is also allowing the money to be used for housing infrastructure.
I support the implementation of the 0.5% surcharge as long as the money is directed toward housing infrastructure that will support the development of workforce and affordable housing.
BFED-74 General Excise and Use Tax Surcharge
Friday, June 8, 2024
Aloha Members of the Board,
As a resident of Pukalani and human services worker, I do not support BFED-74 to establish the General Excise Tax surcharge. I currently work as a case manager under the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Services division and serve as a member on the County’s Commission on Children and Youth. Every day I see Native Hawaiians and Maui born residents struggle to find and secure affordable housing to house themselves and their keiki. Any addition to taxes will greatly affect our already struggling families. To say these added funds will be used for infrastructure and in turn will “reduce the cost to the homebuyer” is not a solution to creating affordable housing opportunities for our most vulnerable residents. Funding is otherwise needed to create programs to give grants to Native Hawaiian and Maui born residents to obtain permanent housing on dwellings that are already here and established. When you look at the amount of abandoned property here, why would we need to destroy more natural resources and land in order to create more business opportunities for nonresidents potentially? I do not support this increase in tax that will only make it less affordable to live here now for those who were never destined to reap the benefits in future. I urge the board to take these concerns into consideration and not establish the surcharge for this intended purpose.
Sincerely,
Ericka Chavez
Please see attached testimony.