'No-frills' budget gained weight
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writer
Mayor Mufi Hannemann says he got everything he wanted — and then some — in the $1.8 billion budget package approved by the City Council on Monday.
While citing a new spirit of openness and cooperation between the administration and council, Hannemann nevertheless said he was concerned about millions of dollars in projects council members added and several last-minute floor amendments that nearly torpedoed the whole process.
Hannemann
Council members added about $21.8 million in capital improvement projects to the "no-frills" budget proposed by the administration, city officials said.
"Let's put the accountability where it belongs. We didn't ask for those things," Hannemann said.
He cited an $11 million appropriation added by council members to make repairs and improvements to the City Hall complex. "We thought $3 million would suffice," he said.
Council Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi defended the extra spending.
"These aren't pork barrel or anything glamorous," she said. "They are things that need to be done. In some cases, we were only restoring funds that had lapsed in previous years or money to complete projects that have already started."
Needed repairs to Honolulu Hale include fixing a leaking roof, removing asbestos and mold, and moving all offices out of the fourth floor to comply with fire-code regulations, she said. The $3 million proposed by the mayor would only cover repairs to the City Hall annex building, she said.
Several council members said they were disappointed with what they called personal criticism Hannemann offered in a news conference yesterday.
Hannemann singled out council member Charles Djou for voting against the budget and fee increases while seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars for new projects in his district.
"He can't have it both ways," Hannemann said.
Djou said all of the projects he sought were for public safety, and added "for every dollar I added, I asked them to cut four."
The mayor also criticized council member Rod Tam for adding several "last-minute" floor amendments to a bill, forcing a month-long delay in a vote to increase the general excise tax to pay for mass-transit projects.
"That's not sunshine and openness," Hannemann said.
"The mayor was just being emotional because a vote he wanted got delayed," Tam said.
Yesterday's dueling news conferences appeared to be the first public dispute between the administration and City Council since Hannemann took office six months ago. But both sides later downplayed the acrimony, saying it will not threaten important issues such as islandwide curbside recycling and mass transit.
"A little give-and-take between the executive and legislative branches is healthy," Djou said. "Things are still much better than they were with the previous administration."
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com
