Tie Down Property Tax

[Brian Isaacson]

#2437

For the past two years, airport tenants have been paying property tax at Oahu airports. JRF tie down tenants have been paying a defacto discriminatory tax rate on tie downs. The assessed tax value of a tie down was $44.64, but the tax bill was $300.00. According to Grant Assurance 22 for Federally funded airport systems, no class of tenants can be discriminated against, which this tax rate clearly does. Although Honolulu C&C issues the tax bill, State of HI Airports and HI State law allow the practice. Two years ago, I informed the parties involved of the situation, including Dept. of Budget & Fiscal Services, Director Nelson H. Koyanagi, Jr.; State of Hawaii DOT Airports, Ross M. Higashi, Honolulu Flight Standards District Office, Tiffany Chitwood, Manager, Airports District Office Manager Gordon Wong, Gov. David Ige, State of Hawaii Attorney General, Douglas S. Chin, U.S. Federal District Attorney, Elliot R. Enoki, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Hank Buckner, General Aviation Office, General Aviation Council of Hawaii, AOPA, EAA. No action has been taken to rectify the situation and make the State of HI Airports in compliance with Grant Assurance 22. The next step should be a formal complain under FAR 13.1. to Gordon Wong. Other Oahu airport tie down tenants may be in the same situation, and if State of HI Airports doesn’t come into compliance with the Grant Assurance, Federal funding for the airport system could be in jeopardy. They have not been in compliance for the past two years.

[Rob Moore]

#2442

I agree it charges tie down renters way too much.  I have three tie downs at JRF that are in close proximity and have to pay $300 on each.  So I pay $900 a year for an assessed value of approximately $133.  I approached Council Woman Pine who ignored me.  I am ready to take more action.  I think Chapter 13 is too slow.

[Brian Isaacson]

#2449

I’ve informed everyone that I think should be interested or has jurisdiction over the past two years without result. Perhaps you have a rabbit that you can pull out of your hat, but even though it is slow, a Part 13.1 formal complaint has to be investigated, and I think we have enough evidence of discriminatory de facto taxation on the tie downs to threaten the Airport Grant Assurance 22 status. I assume that other tie downs at the other Oahu airports are similarly taxed at the (statutory?) minimum, and if it is a minimum established by State law, the the State is plainly in violation of the Grant Assurance for non-discrimination against a specific segment of the airport users.

[Rob Moore]

#2450

Property tax is at the county level

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