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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2016.06.16 - 22389REPORT (MISC. #16080) June 16, 2016 BY: General Government Committee, Christine Long, Chairperson IN RE: MR #16080 - BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — OPPOSITION TO REPEAL OF MICHIGAN PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR DISABLED VETERANS To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: The General Government Committee, having reviewed the above referenced resolution on June 6, 2016, reports with the recommendation the resolution be adopted. Chairperson, on behalf of the General Government Committee, I move the acceptance of the foregoing report. GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. , I move-the ioption of,the foregoing Resolution. JuN, 70°I /1)-U,rwrr Commissioner if/ District # MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION 1116080 BY: Commissioners John Scott, District #5 and Shelley Taub, District #12 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — OPPOSITION TO REPEAL OF MICHIGAN PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR DISABLED VETERANS To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS Michigan House Bill 5169 would eliminate the property tax exemption for veterans who are totally and permanently disabled as a result of military service, have received specially adapted housing from the Veterans Administration (VA), or who are rated by the VA as individually unemployable due to a service connected disability.; and WHEREAS while HB 5169 would create an income tax credit for disabled veterans, the legislation would effectively increase the tax burden on veterans by $10,000,000, according to the House Fiscal Agency; and WHEREAS the men and women who answered the call to serve in the military and protect our nation deserve nothing less than our complete gratitude and appreciation; and WHEREAS many of those veterans of military service paid a dear price for our freedom: limbs lost on far- flung battlefields, shattered lives and life-long disabilities WHEREAS there are approximately 2,800,000 veterans receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for disabilities incurred while defending our Nation; and WHEREAS as the late Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown stated, all Americans have a "solemn obligation to ensure that the men and women disabled in our nation's defense must never be forgotten or neglected"; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners opposes House Bill 5169 and any other measure that would eliminate the Michigan property tax exemption for qualified disabled veterans. BE 1T FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Oakland is directed to submit a copy of this resolution to the Board's legislative lobbyists, the Office of the Governor, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, members of the House Appropriations Committee and the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature. Commissioner District # Commissioner Commissioner District* District* Commissioner Commissioner District* District # Commissioner Commissioner District* District* Commissioner Commissioner District ft District # Commissioner Commissioner District It District It Commissioner Commissioner District it District # Legislative Analysis MESCAL VETERAN PROPERTY TAX BENEFIT House Bill 5169 as introduced Sponsor: Rep. Earl Poleski Committee: Tax Policy Complete to 2-16-16 Phone: (517) 373-8080 http://www.housc.mi.gov/hfa Analysis available at http://www.legislature.mi.gov SUMMARY: The bill would repeal Section 7b of the General Property Tax Act, which provides a tax exemption for the homestead of a disabled veteran who is a resident of the state and meets one of the following criteria: (a) has been determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be permanently and totally disabled as a result of military service and entitled to veterans' benefits at the 100% rate; (b) has a certificate from the VA certifying that he or she is receiving or has received pecuniary assistance due to disability for specially adapted housing; or (e) has been rated by the VA as individually unemployable. The bill amends the Income Tax Act, and the repealer can be found in Enacting Section 1 on the last page of the bill At the same time, the bill would amend the homestead property tax credit within the Income Tax Act (MCL 206. 520) so that the current limits on total household resources and on the value of the residence would not apply to a veteran with a service-connected disability of 100% (or the surviving spouse of that veteran). Currently, a homestead property tax credit cannot be claimed if total household resources exceed $50,000 (and are phased out beginning at $41,000); and cannot be claimed if the taxable value on the property exceeds $135,000 (theoretically about $270,000 in market value). These limits would not apply under the bill, so that veterans with a service-connected disability of 100% would qualify for the homestead property tax credit regardless of household resources and value of the homestead, to the extent that their property taxes exceeded 3.5 percent of total household resources, up to $1,200. The homestead property tax credit, claimed with the state income tax return, allows some taxpayers to receive a refundable credit against the income tax, up to $1,200, for property taxes paid in a tax year. The credit is computed for most filers based on the comparison between property taxes and total household resources. Renters can claim the credit with 20% of rent paid counting as property taxes. However, for a veteran with 100% service disability, the credit can also be claimed based on a formula using a "taxable value allowance" (TAV) of $4,500. The percentage of property taxes refundable as a credit is determined by dividing $4,500 by the taxable value of the homestead. A veteran could choose which of various calculations allowed in the act would produce the larger tax credit. FISCAL IMPACT: As written the bill would repeal the existing property tax exemption for veterans that are 100% disabled. Eliminating this provision would increase property tax revenue by an estimated $16.0 million, of which about $3.5 million would result from the 6-mill State House Fiscal Agency Page 1 of 2 Cr) U3 N' 0 6 z _1 —J CO LIJ U) n 0 x HOUSE BILL No. 5169 December 17, 2015, Introduced by Reps. Poleski, Brett Roberts, Pagel, Bumstead and Forlini and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy. A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled "Income tax act of 1967," by amending sections 506 and 520 (MCL 206.506 and 206.520), section 506 as amended by 1996 PA 484 and section 520 as amended by 2015 PA 179; and to repeal acts and parts of acts. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 506. "Eligible serviceperson", "eligible veteran", and 2 "eligible widow or widower" moans MEAN a serviceperson, veteran, or 3 widow or widower, whose income as defined in this chapter is not 4 more than $7,500.00 per year unless the serviceperson, veteran, or 5 widow or widower receives compensation paid by the veterans 6 administration or the armed forces of the United States for service 7 incurred disabilities and who meets the requirements of the 691-9 `ON 1119 3 Si101-1 03487'15 KAS 3 service-connected disability or veteran's widow or widower 1 presidential 2 executive 3 order or 4 presidential 5 proclamation 6 7 All wars or B presidential 9 executive 10 order or 11 presidential 12 proclamation 13 14 All wars or 15 presidential 16 executive 17 order or 18 presidential 19 proclamation 20 21 All wars or 22 presidential 23 executive 24 order or 25 presidential 26 proclamation 27 Veteran with service-connected disability or veteran's widow or widower Any 60-70-80 $4,000.00 Veteran with service-connected disability or veteran's widow or widower Any 90-100 $4,500.00 Widow or widower Any No $4,500.00 of veteran dying requirement in service 03487'15 KAS 5 1 211,27a. 2 (2) A person who rents or leases a homestead may claim a 3 similar credit computed under this section and section 522 based 4 upon 20% of the gross rent paid for tax years before the 2018 tax 5 year or 23% of the gross rent paid for tax years after the 2017 tax 6 year. A person who rents or leases a homestead subject to a service 7 charge in lieu of ad valorem taxes as provided by section 15a of 8 the state housing development authority act of 1966, 1966 PA 346, 9 MCL 125.1415a, may claim a similar credit computed under this 10 section and section 522 based upon 10% of the gross rent paid. 11 (3) If the credit claimed under this section and section 522 12 exceeds the tax liability for the tax year or if there is no tax 13 liability for the tax year, the amount of the claim not used as an 14 offset against the tax liability shall, after examination and 15 review, be approved for payment, without interest, to the claimant. 16 In determining the amount of the payment under this subsection, 17 withholdings and other credits shall be used first to offset any 18 tax liabilities. 19 (4) If the homestead is an integral part of a multipurpose or 20 multidwelling building that is federally aided housing or state 21 aided housing, a claimant who is a senior citizen entitled to a 22 payment under subsection (2) may assign the right to that payment 23 to a mortgagor if the mortgagor reduces the rent charged and 24 collected on the claimant's homestead in an amount equal to the tax 25 credit payment provided in this chapter. The assignment of the 26 claim is valid only if the Michigan state housing development 27 authority, by affidavit, verifies that the claimant's rent has been 03487'15 KAS 7 1 aid to families with dependent children does not include child 2 support payments that offset or reduce payments made to the 3 claimant. 4 (8) For tax years before the 2018 tax year, a credit under 5 subsection (1) or (2) shall be reduced by 10% for each claimant 6 whose total household resources exceed the minimum total household 7 resources amount of $41,000.00 and by an additional 10% for each 8 increment of $1,000.00 of total household resources in excess of 9 $41,000.00. Except as otherwise provided under this subsection, for 10 the 2018 tax year and each tax year after 2018, the minimum total 11 household resources amount is $51,000.00. For the 2018 tax year and 12 each tax year after 2018, a credit under subsection (1) or (2) 13 shall be reduced by 10% for each claimant whose total household 14 resources exceed the minimum total household resources amount 15 established under this subsection and by an additional 10% for each 16 increment of $1,000.00 of total household resources in excess of 17 the minimum total household resources amount for that tax year. For 18 the 2021 tax year and each tax year after 2021, the minimum total 19 household resources threshold amount established under this 20 subsection for the immediately preceding tax year shall be adjusted 21 by the percentage increase in the United States consumer price 22 index for the immediately preceding calendar year and rounded to 23 the nearest $100.00 increment. THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A 24 CLAIMANT WHO IS A VETERAN WITH A SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY OF 25 100% OR THAT VETERAN'S WIDOW OR WIDOWER. 26 (9) If the credit authorized and calculated under this section 27 and section 522 and adjusted under subsection (7) or (8) does not 03487'15 KAS 9 1 (15) on the basis of the annualized final monthly rental payment at 2 his or her previous homestead, if this annualized rental is less 3 than the senior citizen's actual annual rental payments. 4 (14) For a return of less than 12 months, the claim for a 5 credit under subsections (9) to (15) shall be reduced 6 proportionately. 7 (15) For tax years before the 2018 tax year, the total credit 8 allowed by this section and section 522 shall not exceed $1,200.00 9 per year. Except as otherwise provided under this subsection, for 10 the 2018 tax year and each tax year after 2018, the total credit 11 allowed by this section and section 522 shall not exceed $1,500.00 12 per year. Beginning with the 2021 tax year and each tax year after 13 2021, the maximum amount of the credit allowed under this section 14 and section 522 for the immediately preceding tax year shall be 15 adjusted by the percentage increase in the United States consumer 16 price index for the immediately preceding calendar year. The 17 department shall round the amount to the nearest $100.00 increment. 18 (16) As used in this section, "United States consumer price 19 index" means the United States consumer price index for all urban 20 consumers as defined and reported by the United States Department 21 of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 22 Enacting section 1. Section 7b of the general property tax 23 act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7b, is repealed effective December 31, 24 2015. 03487'15 Final Page KAS Resolution #16080 March 30, 2016 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections. Resolution #16080 June 16, 2016 Moved by Kochenderfer supported by Jackson the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent Agenda be adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted). AYES: Dwyer, Fleming, Gershenson, Gingell, Gosselin, Hoffman, Jackson, Kochenderfer, Kowall, Long, McGillivray, Middleton, Quarles, Scott, Spisz, Weipert, Woodward, Zack, Bowman, Crawford. (20) NAYS: None. (0) A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent Agenda were adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted). 6// I HEREBY APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION CHIEF DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE ACTING PURSUANT TO MCL 45.559A (7) STATE OF MICHIGAN) COUNTY OF OAKLAND) I, Lisa Brown, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true and accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on June 16, 2016, with the original record thereof now remaining in my office. in Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the County of Oakland at Pontiac, Michigan this 16 th day of June, 2016. Lisa Brown, Oakland County