WAILUKU, Hawaii — Maui County lawmakers are considering a bill that would push some 3,000 of the county's more than 26,000 condominium units into a higher property tax classification.

Condo owners would be required to pay taxes according to the "highest and best use" of their properties, as other landowners do now.

Real Property Tax Administrator Scott Teruya says condo owners who currently live full time in their units could continue to receive the homeowner tax exemption and would not be affected.

Condos being used as part-time homes or long-term rentals in zoning districts that allow for hotel use are most likely to be affected by the proposal. They would be bumped up from the "apartment" rate to the higher "hotel" rate.

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Information from: The Maui News, http://www.mauinews.com