Honolulu Council to review empty-homes tax study
A proposed Honolulu City Council measure to penalize real-property owners who leave their Oahu residences vacant for extended periods of time has a chance to start moving again following the release of the first phase of a city-commissioned study.
Bill 46, which was introduced in August by Council Chair Tommy Waters and Council member Radiant Cordero, was formally deferred in December following blistering public testimony against the empty-
homes tax measure. The third reading of the bill also was temporarily postponed pending completion of a study from Ernst &Young LLP, which the city paid nearly $500, 000 to assess the implications of an EHT.
The Council's Budget Committee at 9 a.m. today is expected to receive an informational briefing on the Ernst &Young third-party feasibility report, which was released April 21, and makes recommendations for the first phase of a two-phase plan for the empty-homes tax.
But a study is not all that is needed to advance Bill 46. It's going to take votes, too, and it's still unclear whether the measure will get enough Council support to begin moving again.
Before the Council's Dec. 11 vote to defer the measure, four on the nine-member Council—Esther Kia 'aina, Val Oki moto, Augie Tulba and Andria Tupola—indicated they would not support the bill in its current form, a floor draft.
Waters told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's editorial board during a Zoom meeting Thursday, 'I'm hoping that through the questions and answers, and possibly amending the bill to get that fifth vote. Right now I don't even know if we're even close to getting a fifth vote.
I sure hope so.'
Don 't miss out on what 's happening !
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE !
Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.
Waters said he is unsure how Scott Nishimoto, the newest Council member, would vote.
If Bill 46 moves forward as drafted, it would ensure residential properties are used as actual homes instead of investments—particularly by those who might live outside the state, whether on the mainland or in a foreign country.
As drafted, the measure would tax vacant real property by as much as 3 %. That means a home valued at $1 million could receive a $30, 000 tax bill each year that it remains empty.
The draft version would levy, assess and collect an EHT for each tax year—from July 1 to June 30—for every parcel on which an empty home is situated.
Bill 46 as drafted also would introduce a new Residential E tax classification in Honolulu.
As proposed, at least 20 % of the revenues from the Residential E classification will be directed to affordable-housing programs overseen by the city's Office of Housing.
The remaining funds will support various housing-related issues, including homelessness, cost-of-living increases, rental stability and existing city services, and cover the tax administration costs, Council staff stated.
The effective date for Residential E classification was set for tax years beginning July 1, 2027.
Waters said for him the main reason to support Bill 46 is to address home shortages by getting 'owners of these empty homes to convert to a rental property or to sell it.'
He said the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism asserts a 25, 000-home shortage, and said it would go a long way 'if we could convert most of these to rentals to help deal with that shortage.'
But Waters noted that the city-commissioned study determined 'the estimate of conversion (to rentals ) is much lower than we were hoping for.'
'They're estimating that they're only going to convert 1, 000 to 2, 000 units, ' he said. 'Even 1, 000 to 2, 000 units is great, but I was hoping that it would be a lot more.'
He said estimates from the city-commissioned study are low due to existing exemptions within Bill 46, including properties with a homeowner's exemption whereby such owners would be eligible for an additional exemption to the EHT for a second property.
'That's part of the problem, ' Waters asserted. 'So we've got to look at possibly amending that.'
Waters said the city-commissioned study also differs from a prior University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization report that determined there were about 18, 000 possible vacant homes on Oahu.
'(Ernst &Young ) did their study based on water usage, ' he related. 'They said if you use 50 gallons or less, it's likely you're empty.'
Due to this, Waters said the city's study 'revised ' the numbers, to say 'we're probably only looking at anywhere from 7, 316 to 11, 184 properties that would fall into this category—which is a lot less than we thought.'
Since its introduction, Bill 46 has drawn mixed reaction from the community.
Ross Isokane, who is part of a grassroots coalition of residents in support of Bill 46, told the Star-Advertiser that passage of an EHT will benefit Oahu.
'Our impossibly unaffordable housing crisis has been getting worse, not better, ' said Isokane, who is also a member of the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board. 'While building more housing is certainly a necessary step, outside speculative investment diverts our efforts to increase housing supply for local residents.'
Isokane opined that Bill 46 is the 'only piece of legislation alive today at the city or state level that will help mitigate outside speculative investment on Oahu.'
But most who spoke on Bill 46 at the Council's December meeting opposed its passage.
William Deeb, a Kailua homeowner, said the measure is not about housing, 'it's about revenue generation ' for the city.
Ted Kefalas, with the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, noted there are not any tax rates in Bill 46, a real-property tax measure.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Seadogs lay out plans to tackle financial losses
The club expect to return to their home stadium by August 2026 [BBC] Scarborough Athletic face a projected loss of about £150,000 for the upcoming season, the club has revealed. The shortfall is as a result of being forced to play home games in Bridlington, after works to repair damage to their pitch and ground meant it would be out of action for about a year. Advertisement In a statement, the Seadogs' board said unknowns meant working out future revenues was "extremely difficult". The National League North side's Sports Village home has been hit by "serious structural problems" but an expected repair bill of up to £3.2m would be covered by the council if talks with the original contractor failed. The fan-owned club said it feared that attendances, which had increased from about 400 to 1400 over the last three seasons, would be affected by the forced move to Bridlington Town's Mounting Systems Stadium. The loss of ticket revenue would also be aggravated by the loss of catering and hospitality income, which Bridlington Town would receive under the groundshare agreement. Advertisement The club, which football finance expert Kieran Maguire said generated an annual profit of about £80,000 last year, had created a fundraiser which has so far generated approximately £60k in expected funds. This plus other donations had slashed the shortfall from an initial £250,000, the club said. Mr Maguire said the loss of revenue under the groundshare was a "possible cause of concern" but added: "The club will need to maximise the revenue from every single item available". Patches became more visible on Scarborough's pitch throughout the 2024-25 season. [BBC] Scarborough chairman Trevor Bull said the club was working on options to provide transport to games in Bridlington. Advertisement He confirmed the club was communicating with Network Rail and coach firm East Yorkshire Motor Services over a deal to supply discounted travel. Mr Bull said if they could get more than 1,000 fans to games down the coast that would "help reduce the deficit further". North Yorkshire Council and the original contractors remain in dialogue over when the work to repair the Scarborough Sports Village will begin. There is currently no start date. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. More on this story Related internet links
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business Upturn
EY US Announces Brenda Chamulak, CEO of TekniPlex, As an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2025 Greater Philadelphia Award Winner
Wayne, PA, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TekniPlex, a global leader of innovative solutions through materials science expertise, is proud to announce that Brenda Chamulak, President and CEO, has been named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2025 Greater Philadelphia Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 60 countries globally. This prestigious award recognizes unstoppable leaders who demonstrate exceptional vision, innovation, and purpose—transforming industries and creating long-term value through bold leadership. Chamulak was chosen by an independent panel of past winners, top CEOs and business leaders. Judges assessed candidates on long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment, and significant growth and impact. 'It's an honor to receive this recognition from EY,' said Chamulak. 'This award is a reflection of the incredible work our teams are doing around the world—collaborating, innovating, and pushing boundaries to serve our customers and communities. I'm proud to share this recognition with the entire TekniPlex team.' Under Brenda's leadership, TekniPlex has accelerated its transformation into a global materials science leader, expanding its healthcare and consumer products solutions to serve critical markets and improve everyday life. With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and operational excellence, Brenda has helped guide the company through significant growth and investment in advanced manufacturing across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. As a Greater Philadelphia winner, Brenda joins a global network of leading entrepreneurs and will advance to the national Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. National finalists and winners will be recognized at the Strategic Growth Forum®, taking place November 12–15, 2025, in Palm Springs, CA. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2026. Entrepreneur Of the Year recognizes many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program has recognized leadership of entrepreneurs such as: Howard Shultz of Starbucks Company Reed Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn Arthur Blank of The Home Depot Sponsors Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa LLC, Marsh USA, and SAP. In Greater Philadelphia, sponsors also include Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN), ADP, SolomonEdwards Group, and DLA Piper. # # # About TekniPlex TekniPlex is a globally integrated company that provides innovative solutions through materials science and manufacturing technologies. A global leader in the healthcare and consumer products markets, TekniPlex provides medical device components and a multitude of materials science solutions that lead to a healthier and more sustainable world. Its solutions are found in some of the most well-known names in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, personal care, household, and food & beverage markets. Headquartered in Wayne, PA, TekniPlex employs 9,000 team members throughout its operations in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and the United States. For more information visit About EY EY is building a better working world by creating long-term value for clients, people, and the planet while helping build trust in capital markets. By leveraging data, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies, EY teams help organizations confidently navigate today's challenges and prepare for the future. Across more than 150 countries, EY delivers a wide range of services such as assurance, consulting, tax, strategy, and transactions. While being globally connected, multi-disciplinary teams, combined with deep sector knowledge and an extensive group of partners, EY is able to provide impactful solutions. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information, visit Contact Info Natalia Rivera [email protected] +1 480-395-3130 Attachments Brenda Chamulak, President and CEO of TekniPlex EOY25 Winner Logo Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Stouffville Pursuing Centralized Drop-Off Bins for Downtown Business Garbage Collection
● Stouffville Council has directed Town Staff to develop a full implementation plan for centralized, in-ground garbage drop-off bins for Downtown businesses. ● The decision comes ahead of Ontario's 2026 Blue Box program, which will shift recycling collection responsibilities to producers. ● In accordance with the regulations, the Town opted to end all municipal waste collection for businesses, prompting Council to explore alternative solutions for Main Street merchants. ● The selected bins would be locked and accessible only to local businesses, with no recycling collection included following an amendment by Councillor Sue Sherban. ● Her amendment also ensures associated costs would be recovered through the Downtown's special service levy, which is paid exclusively by Village businesses. ● The Village of Stouffville Advisory Committee (VSAC) preferred maintaining curbside collection. ● A report to Council later this year will detail final costs and be presented to VSAC prior to any final approval. Town Council has taken another step toward assisting Stouffville's Downtown with waste collection, opting to investigate a common garbage drop-off area for Main Street businesses set to lose collection services next year. If approved, the model would see shared garbage containers installed at a centralized location, likely alongside 6240 Main Street or in the Park Drive municipal lot. Business owners between Albert Street and Park Drive would hold keys to access the locked bins and be responsible for transporting their own garbage for disposal. A unanimously approved motion from Ward 6 Councillor Sue Sherban has directed Staff to develop a full implementation plan and cost breakdown for the program before final approval. While the option originally included recycling collection, Sherban's amendment red-lined that portion of the proposal. 'Staff have researched…in-ground bins similar to the bins located at the Leisure Centre and Ballantrae Community Centre. These bins are contained within the ground and have an aesthetically pleasing look and minimizes odours as opposed to metal front-end bins,' a related Staff report explains. 'This option could also be beneficial for garbage disposal during the upcoming Main Street construction project,' it adds. The decision is the latest in a months-long review sparked by pending changes stemming from Ontario's Blue Box program. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, producers of paper and packaging products will become solely responsible for collecting and processing residential blue bin materials. While residential collection will continue, the program specifically excludes certain non-eligible sources, such as businesses. Falling in line with those regulations, Stouffville decided to end all municipal waste collection for non-eligible properties. However, through a February Council decision, Staff were instructed to provide municipal collection options for Downtown businesses. In their report to Council, Staff presented four choices, each with varying service types and financial implications. The selected Option A carried an original estimate of $80,000 in installation costs for three garbage bins and three recycling bins, as well as $3,200 in annual garbage collection fees and $7,500 in recycling collection fees. Those costs will be reassessed following Sherban's amendment, and additional resources and expenses would also be necessary to obtain permits and install security cameras to discourage illegal dumping and misuse. Upwards of 12 parking spaces will need to be removed to make room for the bins. Staff cautioned that continuing service for some non-eligible users could trigger demands for similar support from other excluded properties, potentially creating significant financial pressure. They also warned that ratepayers might view such arrangements as unfair subsidies for commercial operators, leading to public complaints. Sherban's motion addressed those concerns by ensuring all costs associated with Option A be fully recovered through the Downtown's special service tax levy. The charge is mandated by the Town and paid exclusively by businesses within the Village core to support work conducted by the Village of Stouffville Advisory Committee (VSAC). Option B, which was strongly preferred by VSAC, would have retained curbside collection using 95-gallon carts placed along Main Street. This approach was projected to cost approximately $260,000 annually, with further expenses if the Town opted to supply the carts to businesses at no charge. Option C proposed deploying Town Staff and a new collection vehicle dedicated to Downtown pickup. That model required a $275,000 capital investment and about $364,000 in annual operating costs. Option D, the most cost-neutral path, would have seen the Town end waste collection for all non-eligible sources, placing full responsibility on Downtown businesses to arrange their own disposal services. Council had initially received the report earlier this month but delayed making a decision until members of VSAC could formally weigh in. While accepting Option A as an adequate fallback, they noted operational inconveniences, winter access challenges, and a possible increase in the amount of waste placed in public garbage bins along Main Street. The strategy will be refined over the coming months and put forward to VSAC before coming to Council for final approval. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
