LIHU‘E — When the administration of Mayor Derek Kawakami was initially creating next year’s budget, there were proposals for new revenue bills and increased tax rates that imposed higher fees on residents.
But due to the current coronavirus crisis, the administration will not propose these increases to the Kaua‘i County Council for the fiscal year 2021 budget.
With no visitors around the island and reduced spending from residents, there will be decreases in revenues, county Finance Department Director Reiko Matsuyama said Friday.
When the county was looking at increasing certain fees, it could have potentially added $4.178 million to the General Fund and $312,100 to the Solid Waste Fund. When there is less money coming into the county, that could look like less money to fund major infrastructure projects.
The bulk of the money that comes into the county is from real property taxes. The property assessments were completed in
February. These assessments, along with department-by-department projections, were used to create the proposed budget that was submitted to the council in March.
More revenue assumptions will be shared with the council at its meeting on Wednesday, April 8, which will be telecast live online.
The county will not know exactly how much money will come in from the state just yet, but it can anticipate a full share of the state transient accommodations tax.
The state’s Council on Revenues projected that “most of the revenue effects of the virus will be felt in FY 2021” in a letter to Gov. David Ige dated March 13. However, the Council on Revenues anticipated that there would be effects seen and “felt in the last quarter” of the current fiscal year, which runs through June 30.
Typically, the County Council would host budget meetings for three weeks, but with the virus new precautions are being taken. Budget talks continued last week, with the county publishing councilmember questions and department answers on the county’s website via memos since in-person sessions have been canceled to maintain proper social-distancing measures.
Department heads submitted proposed budgets earlier this year, along with presentations outlining upcoming projects and goals.
County Budget Administrator Ken Shimonishi said the Finance Department reached out to revenue-generating departments in the county for more projections, but said a lot is up in the air as the economy enters a downturn.
“Keep in mind so much is unknown,” Shimonishi said.
The County Council, too, has asked departments to take hard looks at proposed budgets and underscore what’s really needed in case there are revenue shortfalls next year and in the years to come.
Michael Dahilig, county managing director, wrote in a memo to the council that some of the new policies the administration plants to implement due to the current global pandemic include not filling new or vacant positions, limiting new vehicle purchases, and not increasing funds for the Kaua‘i Humane Society.
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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
If this is a recent photo. Irresponsible to say the least. Either you took this picture at Lihue Lanes and encouraged these people to sit inches from each other, or this picture was done in happier times.
Because you did not say “file photo”, and give a date and an explanation of when the pic was snapped, you flout the social distancing rules. What is going through your head, garden island to print such a photo without it representing social distancing, or a byline stating that it is a file photo? Is there no one at the garden island that has a lick of sense in their heads?
The reporting does seem a smidgen better, however. Some of Dennis’s photos are good, with social distancing, then you print one like this. You have also been printing sports pics from earlier times where at first blush it seems they are recent, with no social distancing.
With Covid 19 now being spread merely by breathing or speaking, I believe it may be a class action lawsuit in the future, for continuing to print and promote pictures of people not social distancing, without proper journalistic bylines stating they are file photos, and stating when the picture was taken and not currently representative of how people should respect the social distancing rules and laws..
Also, several people in this photo are obviously at risk individuals so if this is a recent photo representing the Mayors cabinet, you do him a disservice, and every person in that pho0to a disservice. Why do I say that? Because this is a small island, and everyone is going to be calling up those people, and going: “What were you thinking! Why weren’t you social distancing?”. Yes, that is irresponsible, reprehensible, inexcusable and continues with the uneven reporting by this newspaper.
Where are the numbers for Hawaii and Kauai? You never report them. Kauai people are required to read another newspaper from Oahu to get the daily numbers. You do not print the Mayors statements, yet sometimes you do. He gives daily briefings. You should have an update feed going on the website. Please, hand that newspaper over to me. I would do a far better job. And I have a ninth grade education. (I jest about that, of course, but you get the point.)
It is amazing that so many of us have to scold you to get you to do the right thing for Kauai and its people. Most of the comments are like that. This newspaper really is at a crisis moment in time, and I encourage yo0u to get your collective heads out of the sand. It seems you are listening to comments and trying to adjust yourselves, but that is the point. You are swinging wildly in terms of your coverage. Your blogging short narrative style staffers are all over the map, there is no cohesive message, half the time you are tongue in cheek sorry not sorry reporting in a way that is like I said irresponsible. I wouldn’t even care to scold the paper, except that we are held hostage by you here, as the only newspaper we have. We have no choice but to look to you for inspiration and facts.
This newspaper is over one hundred years old. It was once run by the great, Jeanie Holmes. I think its an embarrassment right now. And it saddens me to no end. Truly. We go through roller coaster rides with editors at this newspaper. For some years things are good, other editors comes along, the news swings a different way, other editors do things differently. We get that. But for this Pandemic, we really need the Editor to steer the canoe properly, and get the wild out of control report any way you choose style and old timer staff that should probably be sent home to get under control. Sit down and have a cohesive meeting with everyone, and say clearly :No misleading pics, no misleading headlines, like “Kauai is a great place to avoid the coronavirus”. Are you kidding me? Who wrote that? How did you approve that headline?
I really hate to write these comments. This brings me no joy. None, whatsoever. I sincerely need you to get a grip. Like, now.
hold on to your hat……the financial results of the virus will hit hard….no visitors and not near as much money from the State tax fund either (coupled with shutting down all the vacation rentals);
should be a fairly simple calculation to get a “round ball figure”, on an average per visitor spending amount X the amount of tax collected state wide per the tax rate;
we will soon see how important those pesky tourists are to the islands…….