Say what, Senate GOP? Homestead exemption dead

By J.R. | February 25, 2008
Filed Under General Assembly, Republicans |

Why would Senate Republicans recommit something that breezed through the House, sailed through the Senate committee on Privileges and Elections, and was proposed by Del. Dave Albo (R-Fairfax)?

Why did the Senate suddenly suffer a change of heart on the Homestead exemption (which, if it passed the Senate, still had to be voted on this November in order to amend the Virginia constitution)? Why was Sen. Ken Stolle (R-Virginia Beach) the one who proposed to kill the bill? And, why did my senator, Sen. Harry Blevins (R-Chesapeake), change his vote from when he heard it on committee to today on the Senate floor?

Lots of questions and few answers. This makes no sense. I know if the exemption eventually became part of the constitution, it would have put a heck of a lot of responsibility back on local government…but as conservatives, isn’t that a good thing?

I’m confused.

Comments

6 Responses to “Say what, Senate GOP? Homestead exemption dead”

Brian Kirwin on February 25th, 2008 10:11 pm

Last I looked, the Senate was in Democratic control.

Blaming the minority party for a bill failing to pass fails the math test.
J.R. on February 25th, 2008 10:14 pm

That’s a a great point, Brian. But why did Stolle propose to recommit and several Republicans go along with it?
Darrell -- Chesapeake on February 25th, 2008 10:50 pm

It’s logical. The state’s Adjustable Rate Mortgage just got an unannounced interest reset. All those bonds and notes the locals have been issuing is fixin to get more expensive. Somebody has to pay that increased debt servicing. Think homeowners have been getting squeezed? You ain’t seen nothing yet.
eileen on February 26th, 2008 8:01 am

I know Mayor Oberndorf was opposed to it.
anon on February 26th, 2008 10:52 am

All the Republicans in the Senate voted against it. Everyone of the 19. Only two Democrats opposed it. It died 21-19.
LittleDavid on February 26th, 2008 11:59 am

I do not understand the fine points of the proposed legislation, however someone correct me if I am wrong. Homestead exemptions normally allow for long time residents of a state (or commonwealth) to pay a lesser rate of real estate taxes while new residents pay a higher rate. Such measures have been enacted in other states to get new residents to fund needed infrastructure improvements (such as schools, water/sewer etc) brought about by their moving into the area.

Now I tend to think such a measure is reasonable. However I have a couple of concerns.

1 - What spending cuts or replacement revenue sources will be found to replace lost revenue?

2 - What protections will be built in to protect new active duty military residents from paying the “surcharge” since the cycling of active duty members into and out of an area (after a tour of duty one gets orders into the area to replace the one with orders out) yields no real increase in demands for services or infrastructure.

It is interesting that the majority of Democrats supported the measure while every last Republican opposed it. I’d need to hear more about this issue and the reasoning behind the votes cast before I starting shouting angrily or cheering loudly about the vote tally.