LIHU‘E — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. released Friday his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2014, which starts July 1, reflecting a considerable reduction from last year’s budget. But property taxes and fees will likely go up. The proposed operational budget
LIHU‘E — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. released Friday his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2014, which starts July 1, reflecting a considerable reduction from last year’s budget. But property taxes and fees will likely go up.
The proposed operational budget for FY 2014 is $158.51 million, representing a $7.87 million, or 4.7 percent, reduction from the current year’s operating budget, which is $166.39 million.
Just how the administration will balance the budget is perhaps the most significant part of the proposal.
Carvalho is proposing to raise real property taxes to almost all classes of taxpayers to bring in an additional $11 million, and increase several fees to add nearly $3 million more to county coffers.
The budget for capital improvement projects had a major reduction — more than $25 million — compared with the current year’s budget. The proposed CIP budget for FY 2014 is $49.17 million, while the CIP budget of FY 2013 was $64.2 million.
However, to date, the administration spent only approximately $13.7 million, or 21.5 percent, of the CIP budget for FY 2013. Another $6.4 million has gone through procurement process and is pending awards on three projects.
Look for extended coverage of the budget proposal in a future edition of The Garden Island.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
