CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
An array of Oahu properties was lit up when lightning struck in March.
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The gyrations of a skewed, development-driven real estate market with ever-higher prices fueled by offshore sales should not result in a windfall to the city (“Value of urban Oahu properties increases,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 13).
There should be a budget-based process with any increase in valuations being revenue-neutral. That would mean that tax rates, particularly for residential properties, would go down when valuations went up. This would in turn require the City Council and the administration to actively seek and vote on tax increases if more money is needed.
As it stands, every year they have more money to play with by doing nothing. We need to come up with a more equitable system to fund city operations. One possibility could be a county sales tax. I am sure there are other options.
The current system is grossly unfair to residential owners, and results in yearly tax increases that occur without any legislative action.
John Arnest
Wilhelmina Rise
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