2002 Maui County budget unveiled
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — Maui County homeowners and businesses would see a slight reduction in property taxes and a host of new projects under Mayor James "Kimo" Apana's proposed $300 million fiscal year 2002 budget unveiled yesterday.
The proposal contains a significant decrease in community center fees; the creation of several positions to oversee county initiatives; and $53 million in spending for capital improvements, including more than $4 million to address burgeoning traffic problems on Maui.
Under the mayor's budget, property tax rates would be cut 2 percent across the board, a move expected to save property owners a total of $2 million. A property owner with a $300,000 house, for example, would save $23 a year based on present values.
Apana told members of the Maui County Council that the budget's generous level of spending is fueled by a brightened economy, a $4 million public utilities tax windfall from an out-of-court settlement and by recent fiscal conservatism.
The mayor was upbeat but a little emotional as he spoke in front of the council, his staff members and a selection of community leaders.
He recalled how just two years ago the county's bleak fiscal outlook prompted him to ask for a substantial property tax increase.
Thanks to "sound financial management and careful planning,'' he said, the county will see revenues grow "like never before,'' providing an opportunity to catch up on a decade of deferred maintenance and to accomplish numerous projects the county previously could not afford. He called the spending plan "the people's budget.''
The spending plan contains flat financing levels for county departments, excluding additional personnel costs, and for most social service agencies. The proposed $213.8 million county operation budget compares with $188.5 million in the current fiscal year.
The capital improvement budget is double the previous year's amount. The largest project is an $8.3 million fire station in the resort area of Wailea, along with 33 fire personnel to staff it. Also proposed is the addition of six police officers for the South Maui region, which includes Wailea.
In the area of traffic, Apana wants to set aside $2 million to help finance the recommendations of his Traffic Action Committee, which has been meeting with the public to come up with ideas for improving Maui's traffic congestion. Those ideas are due in April.
An additional $1.4 million would go for design and construction of a project to relieve the Honoapi'ilani Highway bottleneck at Lahainaluna Road in Lahaina, and $500,000 would go to complete a new major road to connect north and south Kihei.
Apana also proposes to create positions to manage initiatives in disaster preparedness and early child care, as well as to study planning issues of infrastructure needs and the impacts of development.
On the environment, the mayor is proposing to set aside $1 million for the acquisition of coastal lands, working with the newly formed Maui Coastal Land Trust, and boosting money for projects to remove seaweed from beaches and to revitalize eroded beaches with new sand.
Other capital improvements include the construction of two dormitories — one on Lana'i and one in Kahului — for use by visiting off-island youth teams. At present, there are no affordable accommodations for visiting youth teams, who often have to camp out in local gyms.
Lana'i Councilman Riki Hokama, the panel's Budget Committee chairman, said he was surprised by the number of projects in the proposal. He said it will be interesting to look at the details to see just how the county will pay for it all.
Councilman Alan Arakawa called it a "so-so'' budget that includes programs and initiatives already being discussed by the council.
"At least he's hearing what the community has to say,'' said Arakawa, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Apana, a Democrat, two years ago.
Arakawa added the mayor may not be spending enough on the traffic situation, considering its potential for killing the economy if tourism loses its momentum.
The council will begin a round of public meetings on the administration budget starting March 27.
