The Kaua’i County council met briefly Wednesday to set timelines for their discussion of the mayor’s supplemental budget and set Friday at 9 a.m. for opening budgetary salvos. But there was some preliminary discussion touching on hot-button issues, including: –
The Kaua’i County council met briefly Wednesday to set timelines for their discussion of the mayor’s supplemental budget and set Friday at 9 a.m. for opening budgetary salvos.
But there was some preliminary discussion touching on hot-button issues, including:
– A possible give-back to taxpayers by returning some property taxes.
– Going back to a line-item budget process from program budgeting.
– Privatization of certain county services.
– And the county’s second-year use of a lobbyist.
The council is considering a reduction of $442,192 in revenues as a form of relief to property taxpayers.
On another matter, Councilman Randal Valenciano asked his fellow council members to consider going back to a line-item budget from the program method sought by the administration four years ago.
Valenciano passed out a bar graph to his fellow council members highlighting the fact that the county’s operating budget has risen $12 million in the past year.
Under program budgeting, the council “delegated the administration of (county) programs to the administration,” Valenciano said after yesterday’s meeting. “We placed great faith and some of our responsibility to the administration.”
Valenciano said program budgeting affected the inherent governmental system of checks and balances.
He pointed to two items – the hiring of ex-council member Billy Swain as a county lobbyist at the Legislature, and the leasing of a new automobile for Mayor Maryanne Kusaka.
“They are small issues financially, but … The hiring of a lobbyist and the issue of the car point up the problem. I never voted for the program budget,” Valenciano said.
Line-item budgeting would have mentioned the expenses specifically, something that under program budgeting did not happen with the lobbyist or the mayor’s leasing arrangement.
Councilman Gary Hooser said the line-item proposal “has my support. I’d like to see it go back to the way it was.”
Hooser also supported the tax relief.
“I support the tax decrease wholeheartedly. Maybe we could expand it another $440,000,” Hooser said.
He also requested someone from the administration to be on hand Friday to discuss Kusaka’s proposal to privatize some county services, specifically complementing county work crews that provide janitorial services at six beach parks – Haena, Hanalei, Anini, Lydgate, Po’ipu and Salt Pond.
The recent passage by the Legislature of Senate Bill 1096 ended a six-year administration quest to utilize privatization as a tool to save money and improve services to the public.
Councilman William “Kaipo” Asing wanted to talk about the lobbying of Swain, who Asing replaced on the council in last year’s election. Swain served the county on a contractual during this year’s legislative session.
“I’m not sure about the need for a lobbyist. The council and the administration used to do it (themselves)” Asing said.
In the supplemental budget, Kusaka is seeking $15,000 to continue the lobbyist position.
Kusaka called Swain’s contributions this year a “tremendous assistance.”
“Billy Swain played a key role in the passage of several bills,” Kusaka said.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
