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Kunaway real estate tax assessments are forcing some Virginians to lose their homes,” Kilgore said.
Local governments have tried to respond by lowering their tax rates or targeting relief to those hardest hit by the increases, particularly senior citizens on fixed incomes.
“Right now, if local governments want to respond to home owners, they have to lower the rate for everybody,” said Kaine, a former mayor of Richmond. “What we want to do is give locals the ability to target relief right to home owners.”
Kilgore’s proposal may sound familiar to Fairfax voters, who rejected a similar idea from Republican Mychele Brickner in her 2003 bid for county board chairman.
Democrat Gerry Connolly,. who won that race, said a cap on assessments would jeopardize the county’s ability to maintain its high service standards, particularly in education.
Neither candidate’s proposal faces an easy ride. The Republican-controlled legislature has rejected similar proposals to cap or exempt portions of real estate assessments in recent years.
In addition, both Kaine and Kilgore’s proposals would have to pass two sessions of the legislature and then win statewide voter approval before becoming law.
90.1%