image from Hawaii County Finance Department presentation to the Hawaii County Council. Graphic does not include the thirteen County special funds.

NOTE: This story will be updated with video.

(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi County Council is going over the proposed County budget in a series of special meetings this week, taking in presentations and interviewing administration officials, department by department.

The budget hearings began on Tuesday, and began with a talk by Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth.

image of Mayor Mitch Roth from Hawaii County Council meeting livestream

From a Hawaiʻi County news release:

Mayor Mitch Roth delivered his proposed $794,316,957 operating budget to the Hawaiʻi County Council this morning at the Council Chambers in Hilo. The proposed budget is for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, which begins on July 1, 2023, and ends on June 30, 2024.

As part of his budget message to the Council, Mayor Roth noted that revenue is projected to increase in several key areas, including $10.7 million in real property tax, $10 million in GET surcharge, and $5 million in the Hawaiʻi County transient accommodations tax. However, he also mentioned that with the revenue increases, the budget would also see increased expenditures, mainly due to collective bargaining and uncontrollable cost increases.

“The budget reflects our administration’s commitment to maintaining crucial services while making significant investments in long-overdue infrastructure maintenance projects essential to preserving Hawai’i Island’s natural and cultural resources,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “The investments are crucial to creating a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island, where future generations can thrive and succeed.”

According to Mayor Roth, the budget drafting process is “similar to feeding 100 people with a pizza that has only 12 slices, and everyone is asking for a whole slice.” Despite this challenge, he mentioned that the portions allocated this year are fair and well thought out, and the 1.1% increase in the budget is reasonable and minimal.

The budget places a significant emphasis on infrastructure and maintenance projects, including investments in protecting the environment, such as the investment in the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Mayor emphasized that without immediate action, the county could face “a situation like the Red Hill crisis or worse.”

The budget also includes an increase in the Parks maintenance budget from roughly $450,000 in 2020 to just over $2 million in FY 23-24, taking into account the facilities’ importance to the community’s health.

Other expenditure highlights Mayor Roth included in his message to the Council included funding for homelessness and housing production, an upgraded Police fleet, bolstering paving miles, amplifying public transportation, and improved County information technology systems that will ultimately improve services across the board for all constituents.

Mayor Roth also noted that investing in the county’s employees is essential for providing quality services to the public. Therefore, the budget includes funding for enhanced training opportunities for all departments and education funding to support employees in advancing their knowledge and skill sets.

In his conclusion, Mayor Roth emphasized that the proposed budget “prioritizes addressing long-standing issues and investing in projects that could have devastating impacts on the health and well-being of the community.”

He also mentioned that the administration’s pursuit of innovation through public-private partnerships and exploratory research and development to ensure the sustainability of the island home, including forging partnerships with university systems to save millions of taxpayer dollars in the planning phase of an all-encompassing wastewater master plan for the entire island.

The Mayor expressed his pleasure in working with the County Council through the budget process and thanked them for their willingness to come to the table and partner in creating this budget.

He finished by stating that he “is sincerely optimistic for the year ahead.”

image from Hawaii County Finance Department presentation to the Hawaii County Council. Graphic does not include the thirteen County special funds.

During its morning session, the Council also heard from the Departments of Finance and Planning.

The special budget meetings are scheduled to continue on Wednesday and Thursday.