HILO, Hawaii – Hawaii County Councilwoman Margaret Wille withdrew her proposal to repeal a section in the Hawaii County Code that allows a real property tax exemption for island credit unions. Several credit unions employees and association members testified against Bill 212 on June 2 during a Council Finance Committee meeting in Hilo.

Wille, who identified the exemption during her work on the county’s Real Property Tax Task Force a few years ago, said she saw pros and cons in repealing the tax break and brought the idea to the council for discussion.

Many councilmembers expressed deep appreciation for the local credit unions, and indicated they would not be supporting Bill 212.