Kokua Line: Who would get mayor’s property-tax credit?

Question: Regarding Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s budget proposal, who will qualify for the one-time $300 property tax credit? Would all Oahu owner-occupants get it if they have a home exemption on record, or would there be some cut-off by age or property value or whatever?

Answer: “All property owners with an active home exemption reflected on their 2023 Notice of Assessment qualify for the one-time $300 property tax credit, regardless of property value,” Ian Scheuring, a spokesperson for the mayor, said in an email Friday.

This tax relief is not a done deal, but is sought in the $3.41 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2024 the mayor has presented to the Honolulu City Council for consideration.

If approved by the Council, the break for Oahu’s eligible owner- occupants would be automatic, deducted from property tax bills before they are distributed this summer. The taxpayer would not have to submit an application or fill out any form, said Scheuring, who confirmed that only properties with an active home exemption would be eligible.

Using the home exemption as the standard means the proposed credit won’t apply to rental properties owned by off-site landlords.

Honolulu County’s home exemption, which reduces the property tax due on a residential property by deducting a set amount from the property’s assessed value before calculating the tax, is reserved for owner- occupants.

The mayor’s office said in a news release that 151,749 Oahu homeowners would qualify for the $300 tax credit, relieved of a total of $45.5 million in property taxes. Many residents have demanded relief amid rising assessments that have driven up property taxes, based on even a few sales in a neighborhood.

Q: Regarding getting more pickleball courts on Oahu, how long is this going to take? Are we talking months or years for the courts besides Keehi Lagoon Beach Park?

A: Months, at least, according to information provided by Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation. About 17 parks on Oahu are expected to have underutilized outdoor courts converted exclusively to pickleball use; they will have permanent nets installed. Keehi Lagoon Beach Park is first up; the work there is expected to be finished this summer.

“We are using the conversion effort at Ke‘ehi Lagoon to determine a timeline for the rest of the court conversions moving forward,” Nate Serota, a spokesperson for the department, said in an email Friday. “Typically when we do court resurfacing efforts we provide notice of the closure on-site, but the best reference the public will have on the completed pickleball courts is the website with the dedicated list of these facilities: bit.ly/OahuPickleball.”

Mahalo

On Feb. 23, I was biking with my brother along the Pearl Harbor Bike Path when I stopped to answer a call. As I continued to Pearl Harbor Park, I noticed I had dropped my phone somewhere after the call.

I had foolishly put my phone in my shorts pocket and it fell out as I was pedaling. I panicked, thinking what would I do without my phone, as it is my lifeline to the world.

Luckily I had my new electric bike and it sure came in handy as I backtracked along the route looking for my phone. I told my brother to keep calling my phone with his phone so maybe I could hear the ringtone.

No such luck as I rode back to tell my brother the bad news. But just then he told me someone answered and had my phone near the Best Buy store. I quickly rode there and met this good Samaritan.

I offered him money but he refused. I was so happy and grateful that in my haste, I didn’t get his name. I want to express a big mahalo to this kind gentleman for finding my phone and saving the day for me! I will pay this good deed forward! — W.S.K.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.