Mayor Bryan Baptiste sent to the Kaua’i County Council yesterday a proposed supplemental $97.7 million operating budget and a $18.9 million capital improvement budget for the next fiscal year. Baptiste initially submitted on March 14 a proposed $95. 2 million
Mayor Bryan Baptiste sent to the Kaua’i County Council yesterday a proposed supplemental $97.7 million operating budget and a $18.9 million capital improvement budget for the next fiscal year.
Baptiste initially submitted on March 14 a proposed $95. 2 million operating budget and a $17.7 million public improvement budget, but called for the larger budgets to cover mandated increases and increases to provide sufficient public services.
Some of the big ticket items related to increased cost for the government employee health fund, collective bargaining increases, and more funds for the county attorney’s office as a result of recent court filings and special counsel fees, Baptiste said.
The council is expected to review the proposed increases before it fashions its own version of the budgets, which must be balanced and approved by the end of June, as required by the county charter.
In his message to the council, Baptiste reported that the county is likely to see more money come its way.
Certification of the tax roll for the coming year totaled $47.5 million, about $2.4 million above what was estimated in the March 14 budget proposal. The increased revenues suggested the county prevailed in property tax dispute cases.
Baptiste also noted these proposed increases:
As part of the revised budget, Baptiste also proposed creating two grant writing positions for the county prosecuting attorney’s office and the county public works department.
A grants coordinator would be responsible for overseeing those who write grants for the county, Baptiste said. The position was to be created from an existing position with the county finance department, hence no additional funds would be used to create the job, Baptiste has said.
For the capital improvement budget, Baptiste asked for an additional $430,00 to help with the “rubberizing” of the track at Vidinha Stadium. Matching state funds, if approved by Gov. Lingle, also would be available for the project, Baptiste said.
Baptiste also said the update of an integrated solid waste plan was a priority but was inadvertently overlooked in the March 14 budget request.
Baptiste asked for an additional $300,000 to update the plan. He said garbage disposal technologies have changed dramatically since the garbage management plan was approved by the county in the mid-1990s and that “it is essential for the county to take a new direction where solid waste is concerned.”
Baptiste also asked the council to provide between $50,000 and $70,000 more to buy and replace playground equipment in Kekaha, ‘Ele’ele Nani, Nawiliwili, Anahola Village and Kapahi.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
