LIHU‘E — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s new budget proposal looks pretty much the same as the old one. Carvalho’s supplemental budget proposal, released Friday on the county’s Web site, seeks the exact same funding for both the operating budget —
LIHU‘E — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s new budget proposal looks pretty much the same as the old one.
Carvalho’s supplemental budget proposal, released Friday on the county’s Web site, seeks the exact same funding for both the operating budget — $154,092,065 — and capital improvement projects budget — $58,831,800 — for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
“Our approach to the budgeting process has not changed since our original submittal on March 15,” Carvalho wrote in the proposal. “While we recognize that there are many critical needs within the county and in our community, we also know we must make difficult choices in these uncertain times.”
There were some additions to the proposal: A deputy county attorney position to assist the Kaua‘i Police Department, Department of Public Works efforts to collect household hazardous waste, and the Office of Elderly Affairs’ Enhanced Fitness Program.
However, all increases were offset by equal decreases in other areas.
“The money hasn’t gone up, the money hasn’t gone down,” said Daryl Kaneshiro, County Council Budget and Finance Committee chair, in a phone interview. “(There is) cutting in different areas so we can put in some of the other requests that were coming through.”
The proposal would “short-fund” vacant positions that were to be fully funded next year. Under the proposal, some non-essential positions will be funded for only 11 months.
Kaneshiro said departments may have to wait until August to hire new personnel rather than July 1, but added many vacancies were likely to go unfilled during that month anyway. In many cases, the change will amount to a decrease in the unappropriated surplus as the budget is balanced.
Kaneshiro said he respected Carvalho’s conservative approach to the budget — which, as proposed, would be a 2.5 percent decrease from the 2008-09 budget — because next year could see more negative financial news and even another run by the Hawai‘i Legislature at the counties’ shares of visitor tax revenue.
“We’re being cautious and I think it’s wise to do that,” Kaneshiro said.
The council will deliberate on the new budget proposal Monday and Tuesday.
