Council trades jabs over spending plan
By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer
There are just a few rounds left in Honolulu's annual budget brawl as the City Council continues to spar over where to add or cut money from the spending plan.
Council members traded jabs yesterday over a thick stack of proposed changes that are awaiting a decision by the powerful Budget Committee this month. Any changes would go into the budget that faces a final vote on June 4.
At stake are hundreds of empty jobs that Mayor Jeremy Harris says must be filled, raises for thousands of other workers, construction projects worth millions of dollars and valuable election-year political clout.
Some council members are pushing for pet projects in their districts, while others say the panel's first version of the budget cut too many jobs, including some that are no longer vacant.
"We kind of goofed on some of that stuff," Councilwoman Barbara Marshall said. "I think in some cases we got a little over-ambitious in cutting what we thought were vacant positions. We don't want the city to grind to a halt."
Councilman Gary Okino said that even if the jobs aren't filled, the money should be available to pay others overtime. "Some way or another, they need the money to get the job done," he said. "I think it's imprudent of us to cut any of these positions."
But others said job cuts are necessary if the council approves pay raises for nearly 3,000 white-collar workers represented by the Hawai'i Government Employees Association.
"Cuts, deep cuts and painful cuts, are going to have to be made," Councilman Charles Djou said.
Djou and Okino agreed the council should restore more than $3 million that was cut from a $10 million solar-bond program to install energy-saving equipment in city facilities. The projects are expected to pay for themselves with energy savings over several years.
Okino said no more money should be spent on park improvements because the city can barely operate and maintain the parks and programs it has. But others are proposing new park projects, mostly in the districts they represent.
Councilman Nestor Garcia said the administration should follow through on its promise to offset the cost of some park maintenance by charging fees for soccer tournaments and other events. "I think we need to hold the administration's feet to the fire and get that fee schedule up, so they can start generating revenue," Garcia said.
Council chairman Donovan Dela Cruz said the council should not overlook the important role parks can play in promoting healthy activities for young people as an alternative to drugs and crime.
"We're selling ourselves short if we don't take care of these needs," he said. "If we don't provide opportunities such as parks and programs in parks, what are we going to offer?"
Okino said one way to save money would be to eliminate all 10 satellite city halls and shut down the city's economic development office, which handles Brunch on the Beach and other events.
City customer services director Carol Costa said closing the satellites wouldn't save much money but would greatly inconvenience residents who depend on them.
Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
