Thursday, November 21, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, March 24, 2016
Maui Budget: Mayor Arakawa Says No Property Tax Rate Increase Necessary
By News Release @ 10:03 PM :: 5987 Views :: Maui County, Taxes

News Release from County of Maui March 24, 2016

Wailuku, Maui - Citing higher property tax valuations this year, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa said that he is proposing that the property tax rate in all categories remain flat this year, during his annual budget presentation before County Council members today.

The proposed Maui County budget for Fiscal Year 2017 totals $810.4 million. Of that amount, proposed revenues from County Funds of $711.5 million will provide funding for an operating budget of $563.6 million and a capital program budget of $147.9 million.

The mayor said he had already cut $43.5 million out of Capital Improvement Program projects and $11.5 million from operational requests and that whatever was left over, is necessary to meet the needs of the community. Although the county has done its best to catch up on infrastructure and service projects, the mayor said there is still much to be done.

"We stop working and basic needs won’t be met. Water, sewer, refuse, police, fire – all of these are very necessary services for the community," said Mayor Arakawa. "Many projects were either deferred or underfunded in the past, and they still need to be done. So some of our budget will always be to catch up on past deferrals."

Some of the county's FY 17 CIP projects include:

- $38.9 million to continue road resurfacing and improvements, including work done by our in-house road paving and preservation crew and the matching required for Federal Aid projects;
- $25.8 million for continued Water Supply improvements, including source development, storage, and transmission upgrades and repairs, including $13 million for the West Maui Reliable Capacity project;
- $34.9 million for Wastewater improvements and expansion, including recycled water, sewer lines, reclamation facilities, and pump stations.
The biggest one involves $12.5 million for modifications to the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility.
- $25.3 million for new Parks facilities and improvements, including funds required to improve various facilities throughout the county’s eight community plan districts;
- $13.4 million for other projects such as $6.3 million for large equipment purchases, and $5.7 million for the public safety radio system
upgrades;
- $10.7 million for Government Facilities, including much needed building repairs to our main Kalana O Maui building;
- $15.3 million for drainage improvement projects, including $9.0 million for continued work on the Lahaina Watershed Flood Control project.

"After agonizing to try to balance what the county must do, what we’ve planned to do, and what everyone wants us to do with the limited resources available, the administration looks forward to working with the council to move Maui County forward in the accomplishment of our vision, mission and goals," said Budget Director Sandy Baz.

The mayor noted that when the Council and the administration work together, "we do phenomenal things," and cited land purchases to preserve open space, new park facilities, road improvements and other projects over the years.

"A hundred years from now, no one will be the least bit interested in any arguments we may have had," Arakawa said. "But they will look at the footprints that we have created in this community."

A copy of the proposed FY 17 budget document can be found at http://www.mauicounty.gov/budget.  

---30---

MN: Arakawa proposes 14.6 percent increase

MN: Highlights from Mayor Alan Arakawa's proposed fiscal 2017 budget

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii