It’s that time of year again – tax time and just like last year at this time, the Maui County Mayor, Alan Arakawa has presented his fiscal year budget proposal to increase the property tax rate paid by timeshare owners for the second year in a row.
Starwood, who manages two major timeshare resorts on Maui, Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas and Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North, sent the following email to their owners:The proposal represents a 7.7% increase to the timeshare tax rate on top of the 8% increase of last year which means timeshare owners would see a 15% increase in their property tax rate over the past two years. This proposed increase would bring the overall rate from the current $15.00 per thousand to $16.15 per thousand. While the Mayor’s office insists the tax increase will be “revenue neutral”, this continues the practice of taxing timeshare owners at a significantly higher tax rate than any other type of landowner. And these proposed increases come without any rational explanation or justification from the Maui County Council.
“This is to inform you of the recent fiscal year budget proposal by Maui County Mayor, Alan Arakawa, to increase the property tax rate paid by timeshare owners. If passed, the new tax rate will take effect July 1, 2012. The Mayor’s office insists the tax increase will be “revenue neutral”; however, the proposal represents a 7.7% increase to the timeshare tax rate – bringing the overall rate from the current $15.00 per thousand to a proposed $16.15. This continues the practice of taxing timeshare owners at a significantly higher tax rate than any other type of landowner.
As we did successfully last year, your Board of Directors, Management Company, and American Resort Development Association-Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC) are working to defeat or minimize this proposed increase. We will be meeting with Maui County Council members and the Mayor’s office in an attempt to roll-back the proposed increase and obtain more details about the proposal. Ultimately, it will be the members of the Maui County Council who will either accept the Mayor’s initial proposal or adopt a different timeshare tax rate. Once we have more information, we will provide you with further updates and details on how you may help communicate your opposition.”
In addition, as they did last year, ARDA-ROC has an alert about this on their website, where they are encouraging action by timeshare owners as follows:
“ARDA-ROC encourages each and every owner of timeshare on Maui to call or to write the Mayor, as well as the County Council members, to voice your opposition to this tax increase.
Please remember that this is the Mayor’s budget proposal, so you will be asking each Council member to reject that proposal and keep the property tax rate for timeshare at $15.00.
Numerous timeshare companies, their employees, interested community members, as well as ARDA and ARDA-ROC will be in attendance at the community budget hearing that will take place at 6:00 pm on April 11 at the Lahaina Civic Center, as well as the Maui County Council Budget Hearing at 9:00am at the county council building. We will have more information for you as to how you or your association can participate in each meeting.”
As he did last year, Syed Sarmad, Owner of Advantage Vacation, will attend the meeting and speak on behalf of all Maui timeshare owners.
Advantage Vacation encourages and invites all owners either visiting on island or residing in Maui County to attend the hearing listed below to express their concerns in person.
The date is Wednesday, April 11 at 6:00pm at the Budget and Finance Committee Hearings to be held at Lahaina Civic Center, Social Hall, 1840 Honoapiilani Hwy., Lahaina, HI (808) 270-7838.
You can email the Mayor’s office and Council members as listed below:
Alan M. Arakawa, Mayor Mayors.Office@co.maui.hi.us
Danny A. Mateo, Council Chair danny.mateo@mauicounty.us
Joseph Pontanilla, Council-Vice Chair joseph.pontanilla@mauicounty.us
Gladys C. Baisa, Council Member gladys.baisa@mauicounty.us
Robert Carroll, Council Member robert.carroll@mauicounty.us
Elle Cochran, Council Member elle.cochran@mauicounty.us
Donald G. Couch, Jr., Council Member don.couch@mauicounty.us
G. Riki Hokama, Council Member riki.hokama@mauicounty.us
Michael P. Victorino, Council Member michael.victorino@mauicounty.us
Mike White, Council Member mike.white@mauicounty.us
Advantage Vacation is a member of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and offers the best buys on the timeshare re sales market today. We never charge an upfront fee for clients who want to sell a timeshare and only receive a commission, paid from escrow, when the transaction is closed.
We are leaders in the timeshare resale secondary market, have been in the timeshare industry for over 30 years and are Accredited Members of the BBB with an A+ Rating.
Advantage Vacation is using Twitter and Facebook to help educate people on the changes in the timeshare industry along with current timeshare tips, up to date timeshare news and timeshare FAQ’s.
We hope you will follow us and our blog, Timeshare Blogging by Advantage Vacation for the latest news and reviews. If our site does not answer your question or questions, please email us your question and we will answer it and add it to our library. Make your voice heard – what questions do you have?
At Advantage Vacation you can be assured you are working with professionals who believe that honesty and integrity are the most important aspects of the business they are in – timeshare re sales. Our business has been built on relationships and we pride ourselves on providing excellent service to our clients.
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