Caldwell, Hanabusa: HART Will Need More Tax Hikes from Legislature
SA: ...In his response letter, Caldwell told HART that he wants to know what’s changed. His most recent appointee to the board, former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, said Caldwell will likely have to face the Legislature early next year and brief them on the same issue.
“We are going to have to recognize that come January, when the Legislature convenes, we’re going to have to address it,” (tax hikes coming) Hanabusa, also former state Senate president, said during HART’s board meeting Thursday. “I think we’d better start now. Somewhere along the line we’re going to have to have that discussion.”
On Thursday, Grabauskas noted a few new factors that he said have arisen since May. HART has new internal estimates for what it will cost to build the elevated guideway and stations along the second half of the line, he said.
Those estimates show it could cost even more to finish building than the last time HART officials increased their cost estimates, he said. However, Grabauskas said that HART can’t disclose what the new estimates are because doing so could drive up bid prices.
“The indications are they could be higher than what we looked at back in December, eight months ago,” he said. Grabauskas also said that rail could face increased costs in utility relocations.
In their update last week, Horner and Grabauskas said that their warning of potentially $200 million more in costs stems from more conservative budget estimates....
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Mayor Caldwell sends response to HART
News Release from City and County of Honolulu September 24, 2015
Mayor Kirk Caldwell sent a letter to Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Board Chair Donald G. Horner and Executive Director and CEO Daniel A. Grabauskas, responding to a letter that the mayor and the City Council chair received on September 15.
The mayor’s response outlines concerns and requests further clarification from HART on a number of specific issues. He urges HART to control project costs, maintain the project schedule, and consider the suggestions of the city’s transportation consultant Michael Burns. He also encourages HART to hold a public meeting to discuss the plan to revise the project phasing, budget and schedule.
View the letter here.
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Background: FULL TEXT: HART Invents New Billion Dollar 'Crisis' to Pressure Council for Tax Hike
Caldwell in Action: