BUDGET
One of my main priorities during this first half of our term has been our budget. As someone who came from the private sector, we were already being impacted by the downturn in the economy before I even got elected so I knew, that the budget for our County was going to be a challenge. There were a couple of factors that weighed in heavily, one being the question of, will we be able to retain our share of the transient accommodations tax (TAT) which roughly amounts to $11.2 million. We must understand that the State is in a rough place to be. The projected decline in revenues total $2.73 billion between now and June 30, 2011. That being said, the State is in the difficult position of deciding where the must cut in order to balance their budget which is a requirement.
In a nutshell, everything was on the table including the TAT, which is a critical component to the counties. From the start to the end of this legislative session, I have gone to the capitol to testify and meet with not only our representatives, but with representatives from other islands to broadcast the message on the importance of this TAT to our county. With the efforts of our Mayor, our fellow county councils, and the hard work of our representatives, we were able to save this source of revenue for another year. It was interesting to see Maui County submit a preliminary budget excluding their share of the TAT. They basically cut programs and positions which are something that we would all have to do if we had not been able to retain our TAT. Needless to say, it was an eye opener and a reality check for all of us.
The budget that was submitted to us and approved is for $154 million. A 2.47% reduction from prior fiscal year. Our Capital Improvement Budget comes in at $58.8 million. I would like to take the time to thank the administration for submitting a budget that reflects our current economic situation.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Being the chair of the Public Safety, Energy, and Intergovernmental Relations committee, a main priority is public safety. In my opinion, public safety should never be compromised. Whether we have a good or bad economy, the safety of our people is paramount. We have worked hard to ensure that those who are in charge of keeping us safe have the tools, resources, and manpower to get the job done. During our budget hearings there were many questions that were asked to the respective department heads of our Fire, Police, Civil Defense, and Prosecutors office. One of the very few questions that I asked, and in my opinion the only one that mattered is, “Does your proposed budget give you the necessary resources to fulfill your mission of keeping our people safe?” The answer across the board was yes.
In April, a collective effort including Dr. Monty Downs co chair of Kauai’s Water Safety Task force, Chief Westerman of Kauai Fire Department, Kalani Vierra from our Ocean Safety Bureau and I went to the state capitol to testify in support of HB 1040. HB 1040 was important to our county because it would provide our county lifeguards with immunity (except in the case of gross negligence) when guarding our state beaches. The beach in point, Ke`e beach. A very popular beach that has claimed lives over the course of history. The issue is that Ke`e beach is a State beach and since the State doesn’t have lifeguards the county fills in the gap to provide services out there. We have provided lifeguards at Ke`e beach since July 1, 2008. Between July 1 2008 and April 2009, there have been 49 rescues, 333 cases of first aid assistance, 7,548 preventions, 18,882 public contacts, and 71,428 beachgoers. All of this in less than a year. As you can see by the numbers, our lifeguards are doing everything they can to protect us, we are obligated to protect them.
As we move forward, we must continuously strive to increase our efforts to keep our people safe. Whether it is through ordinance or dollars, we must make public safety our top priority. In times of a bad economy stress levels at home increase. This often leads to an increase in drug abuse, an increase in domestic violence, an increase in child abuse, an increase in burglaries and theft. Those who are put in charge of keeping us safe put their lives on the line, their families at home also make tremendous sacrifices all in the name of keeping us safe. I remain committed to ensuring that we provide the necessary tools and resources so that they can address the increasing challenges and hazards of their job.
ECONOMY
The economy remains and will remain as one of my top priorities. Everyone is affected by the downturn in the economy. We must understand that tourism is our number one economic driver for Kauai and the State of Hawaii. That is why I supported a proposal from the administration for $500,000 to be used as a Visitor Industry Stimulus package. The bilk of this money is to be used for marketing. Coming from the retail sector, I fully understand the importance of marketing. Marketing dollars are relative to an increase in sales. The bulk of this money will be used to partner with our wholesale travel companies such as Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia. The focus will be on key U.S. markets that continue to provide visitors to our island. Another component will focus its efforts on kama`aina on other islands as well as our military travelers. The military has proven to be a good source of revenue even in a downturn in the economy. This $500,000 is forecasted to provide approximately $8 million when you factor in the multiplier effect such as visitors spending money in our hotels, restaurants, and retail shops.
While tourism is our top industry, we must also remain focused on our efforts to diversify our economy. I have served as co-chair of the Kauai Economic Development Board’s Food and Agriculture committee. We serve to find ways in promoting a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable agriculture industry. We must also concentrate our efforts in ways to boost industries in the sectors of high technology, health and wellness, sports and recreation, arts and culture, renewable energy, and the construction and building trades sector, which are all identified as priorities in the Kauai Economic Development Plan.
COLLABORATION
It is critical that in these challenging times, we put aside our personal differences and personal agendas so that we can move forward by working together. I have strived to build a healthy and trustworthy relationship with the Mayor and his administration while also serving on the body that provides checks and balances in our system. I have learned throughout my experience as serving on the Board of Directors of KIUC and from coming in with experience in the private sector that a combined effort of many is much more effective than the effort of one. A huge factor in this is being a good listener. It has been said that I do not say much. This is because I believe that there is more to be accomplished by listening first. It is through listening that we learn, it is through learning that we become educated on the issues, and when we are educated on the issue we can act. And when it comes time to speak, my message is clear, concise, and to the point. It is virtually impossible to learn anything if your mouth is constantly open. This has been a core value that has been passed down to me and I find it very effective. I have established a healthy relationship with the administration, which proves helpful whenever I have questions or concerns. It also makes it easier to gain support on initiatives that will benefit our community.
In March, I attended a National Association of Counties Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. Among attending steering committee meetings dealing with Environment and Energy, we visited our Congressional delegation with a list of nine projects that were generated from the Administration. We felt that it would be beneficial to go in with a unified effort rather than to haphazardly list projects that were not in line with the Administration’s efforts. This is collaboration in action. Councilmember Kaneshiro and I worked with the Administration prior to our trip so that we could be briefed on what they presented to our representatives in D.C. at a prior meeting earlier in the year.
The list if nine projects include: 1.Expansion of the Waimea Wastewater treatment plant. 2. Expansion of the Kekaha Landfill. 3. Kauai County Sustainable Energy Initiative. 4. Kauai County Affordable Housing Initiative. 5. Nawiliwili to Anahola Bike/Pedestrian Path. 6. West Kauai Flood Control 7. Northern Leg of the Western Bypass 8. Kauai County Law Enforcement Technology Improvements. 9. Kauai County Substance Abuse Prevention Initiative.
These meetings went well and the fruits of our collective labor will reveal itself when the 2010 Fiscal year budget is released.
Just as important as it is to work together, it is also important to recognize that we are here to serve as a component of checks and balances. While we are working great together, everything that comes across my desk is read thoroughly, it is questioned, and a decision is made based on the merits of each proposal. Thankfully, the trust level is at an all time high due to the efforts made by the administration to provide itself to the Council to answer any questions we may have and to keep us informed of their efforts.
Working with my 6 fellow council members has also for the most part, been a collaborative effort. Senior members of the council have made themselves readily available to assist me as I progress through the learning curve. Once again, there is great value in learning to listen first.
Working with the public however brings the most joy to this job. I have made myself available to members of the public and have attended meetings in which I have a difference in opinion. Yet through this difference in opinion, I remain true to the value of listening first. Whether it is a community meeting dealing with funds allocated to the people of Kekaha who have been the host of our landfill, bon dances around the island, in the grocery store or on the streets, I believe that my ability to listen lends to my approachability. We may not agree, but I will give you the straight talk and let you know where I am coming from. If I don’t know, I will let you know. But I will never leave you guessing as to where I am coming from.
updated 7/21/2009
