LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council’s Committee of the Whole voted Wednesday morning to approve a $230.6 million budget for Fiscal Year 2013, including $166.39 million in operating expenses and $$64.21 million in capital improvement projects. The decision, however, was
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council’s Committee of the Whole voted Wednesday morning to approve a $230.6 million budget for Fiscal Year 2013, including $166.39 million in operating expenses and $$64.21 million in capital improvement projects.
The decision, however, was not unanimous. Council members Mel Rapozo and KipuKai Kuali‘i voted against the budget.
Rapozo said he couldn’t support a budget which increases government size and spending, raises property taxes, dips into the county’s reserve fund and appropriates from a projected surplus.
“Raising taxes and dipping into those funds should be the last resort,” he said.
Kuali‘i had similar reasons. He said wanted a more fiscally responsible budget.
“We should be preparing for the next three or four years,” Kuali‘i said.
The decision by the seven-body committee moves the budget to full council — made up of the same seven members — which will have a final vote on the budget before sending the two bills containing the operating and CIP budgets to Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. for his signature.
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