KAPAA — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and the county’s budget team, Nadine Nakamura, Ken Shimonishi, and Sally Motta, will present a financial overview at the Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Association meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kapaa Library. The talk is
KAPAA — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and the county’s budget team, Nadine Nakamura, Ken Shimonishi, and Sally Motta, will present a financial overview at the Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Association meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kapaa Library.
The talk is free and open to the public.
“The cost of government has grown significantly over the past four years,” a press release on the presentation stated. “Between 2010 and 2014, total operating expenditures increased by $17 million or 13.6 percent. Approximately 83 percent, or $14 million, of the operating funds increase is attributed to increases in five departments: Police, fire, public works, transportation and prosecutors.
“On the other hand, cost cutting has, in part, resulted from pay freezes, furloughs and refinancing bonds,” the release said. “Yet, between 2010 and 2014, 61 new positions were created.”
The team will address additional strategies for reducing costs and examine the challenges that lie ahead.
“This will be very eye-opening presentation with sufficient opportunity for Q and A,” said Rayne Regush, W-KNA chair. “For example, one unfortunate statistic is that more than 50 percent of maintenance work is due to vandalism of county parks and facilities.”
Updates on other topics, such as reducing Kapaa traffic congestion, will also be provided.
Info: www.wkna.org or contact Sid Jackson at 821-2837.
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The Garden Island
