City Council fails to override veto of military tax break

Leaders of the Honolulu City Council failed Wednesday to override Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s veto of a bill giving additional tax breaks for active military personnel who own property on Oahu.

Council Chairman Ernie Martin, who introduced the bill, was joined in supporting the override by members Carol Fukunaga, Ann Kobayashi, Trevor Ozawa and Kymberly Pine. Opposed to the override were Ikaika Anderson, Brandon Elefante, Joey Manahan and Ron Menor. The 5-4 vote fell one short of the six needed to override a veto.

Deputy Budget Director Manny Valbuena said the plan would cost as much as $1 million in lost revenue and would be unfair to first responder workers including law enforcement officers and others who would not have received the break. He also pointed out that the federal government provides housing allowances for military members.

Martin said the proposal was a small token of appreciation for military personnel and pointed out that the city leaves more than $100 million unspent annually.

Bill 91 (2017) would have given service members what amounts to a $140 annual reduction on their property taxes. The bill would have provided a $120,000 exemption from assessed value of the homes they occupy, or 50 percent more than the standard $80,000 owner-­occupant exemption.