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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
28 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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RESOLUTION
Urging counties to make a concerted effort to develop a senior tax work-off program to help pay real property taxes.
WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism projected that Hawaii’s population age 65 and over will reach 14 to 18 percent of the total population; and
WHEREAS, more than two-thirds of pre- and working retirees want to work to stay active and be useful; and
WHEREAS, the need for money is the primary reason for pre- and working retirees to work in retirement; and
WHEREAS, if seniors who live on a fixed income remain in their homes after retirement, rising real property taxes become a higher proportion of their expenses; and
WHEREAS, to assist seniors in paying their property taxes, counties in several states including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and South Carolina have implemented property tax work-off programs for seniors, called the "Senior Tax Work-Off Program"; and
WHEREAS, in view of the high cost of living and other expenses of owning a home in Hawaii, a Senior Tax Work-Off Program would offer seniors an opportunity to earn money toward their real property taxes by performing a variety of tasks at county offices (e.g., custodial, clerical, paraprofessional, and food services); and
WHEREAS, counties in other states that have adopted these programs have instituted requirements including:
(1) The number of seniors hired will be based on the available funding for the program;
(2) The senior must live on the property where the taxes are due;
(3) The senior must be 60 years or older;
(4) The senior will be classified as a temporary county employee;
(5) The maximum amount that may be earned (e.g., $500) at a rate equal to the minimum wage; and
(6) Seniors are not paid through payroll, but instead receive a reduction in their property tax bills (e.g., tax voucher or automatic abatement);
and
WHEREAS, senior residents of Hawaii's four counties could have the same opportunity to temporarily work for the county and, in turn, reduce the burden of their property tax bill; and
WHEREAS, seniors should be provided with support services to maintain and improve their quality of life to enable them to stay in their homes as long as possible; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that each county is respectfully urged to establish a program to allow low-income senior citizens at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level to work for county offices to earn an amount to be credited to the payment of their real property taxes, known as the "Senior Tax Work-Off Program"; and
BE IT RESOLVED that each county is requested to report to the Legislature its progress in developing and implementing the program no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayors and Council Chairs of the counties of Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, and the City and County of Honolulu and the Executive Office on Aging.
Report Title:
Senior Tax Work-off Program; Real Property Taxes