eNews Feb. 21, 2019 – Action Alert

Thursday, February 21, 2019 - 11:34am

Updated: Help keep personal property tax relief for disabled veterans a local option

HJ676 and SJ278 would amend the Constitution of Virginia to provide a personal property tax exemption for one motor vehicle (automobile or pickup truck) owned by a disabled veteran or spouse.

As passed by the House of Delegates, HJ676 authorizes the General Assembly to provide any county, city or town the discretionary power to exempt the car tax for veterans who have a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability.

The Senate proposal imposes a mandatory tax exemption.

VML opposes the mandate set out in SJ278.

Update: The House Speaker appointed today the House conferees for HJ676. They are Delegates, Filler-Corn, Rush and O’Quinn. The House has also insisted to the Senate that the Senate accept the local option approach. The Senate should select its conferees later today.

Action

We urge you to call Delegates Filler-Corn, Rush and O’Quinn as well as your Senators to support the local option offered by HJ676 and to oppose another unfunded mandate on localities as proscribed by SJ278.

Talking Points

Personal property taxes are local revenues. Local elected officials are responsible for imposing these taxes and local citizens hold their councils and boards of supervisors accountable for actions taken on local taxes;
The state constitution specifically assigns tangible personal property as subject to local taxation. The General Assembly’s past constitutional amendments that exempted disabled veterans and surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action from real property taxes cost local governments over $50 million in Tax Year 2018, according to a survey done by the Commissioners of the Revenue.
The General Assembly should not trespass on local tax authority. The General Assembly has a greater fiscal capacity than localities and can craft an income tax relief program for these veterans and their families without commandeering local revenues.

VML Contact: Neal Menkes, nmenkes@vml.org