HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 23

(By Delegates Angotti, L. Smith, Cann,
Susman, Linch, Harrison and Armstead)

(Introduced February 1, 1999; referred to the Committee on Constitutional Revision then Finance.]

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, amending article ten thereof by adding thereto a new section, designated section one-d, relating to exempting automobiles that are owned by natural persons and not held or used for profit from ad valorem taxation, with such exemption to be phased in over a five year period; numbering and designating such proposed amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed amendment.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:
That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to the voters of the State at the next general election to be held in the year two thousand, which proposed amendment is that article ten thereof be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section one-d, to read as follows:
ARTICLE
X. TAXATION AND FINANCE.
§1d. Exemption from ad valorem taxation for certain automobiles.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, automobiles that are owned by natural persons and not held or used for profit are exempt from ad valorem taxation. This exemption shall be phased in over a five year period by reducing the ad valorem tax on automobiles in twenty percent increments each year for five years, with the full exemption becoming effective at the end of the fifth year.
Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of article eleven, chapter three of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, such proposed amendment is hereby numbered "Amendment No. 1" and designated as the "Automobile Property Tax Exemption Amendment" and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: "To amend the Constitution of West Virginia to exempt automobiles that are owned by natural persons and not held or used for profit from ad valorem taxation, with such exemption to be phased in over a five year period."

NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to amend the Constitution to exempt automobiles that are owned by natural persons and not held or used for profit from ad valorem taxation. This exemption is to be phased in over a five year period.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.