LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council, following a recommendation last week from its Committee of the Whole, approved two bills Wednesday to address an almost $1 million imbalance in the budget for Fiscal Year 2013, which started July 1. “I’m
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council, following a recommendation last week from its Committee of the Whole, approved two bills Wednesday to address an almost $1 million imbalance in the budget for Fiscal Year 2013, which started July 1.
“I’m supporting these bills because it is the right thing to do to put our books in order,” Councilman Tim Bynum said.
The council in May approved the budget for FY 2013, counting on unused funds from certain Capital Improvement Projects that they believed the administration would not pursue in the near future.
But after the budget was approved and before June 30, which is the date the last fiscal year ended, the administration encumbered (or used) the money for those select CIP projects, which amounts to $952,392.
There was apparently some miscommunication on all levels: between council and the administration and within the administration. When county Finance Department staff tried to transfer those CIP funds to the FY 2013 operational budget, the money wasn’t there.
Additionally, since the approval of the budget, the actual calculations for post employment benefits came in lower than earlier calculations, creating a $2.52 million surplus, which were used to balance the budget in one of the bills approved Wednesday.
Despite an unanimous approval of Bills 2441 and 2442, council members Mel Rapozo and KipuKai Kuali‘i criticized the bills and lashed at the administration. Rapozo said he was only supporting the bills because the council is required to pass a balanced budget.
“There was a lot of media publicity, I guess, press releases, to assure the public that the money is not missing,” said Rapozo, apparently alluding to a county press release and a presentation by Council Chair Jay Furfaro, both on Aug. 29.
“If the money was not missing, we wouldn’t be here today, getting money from the surplus and revenue funds to replace the money that wasn’t there,” Rapozo said. “I think it’s disingenuous to tell the community that the money wasn’t missing when in fact the money wasn’t there, that’s why we’re here.”
Kuali‘i said the error should not have happened.
“I’m sure we will be more careful next time,” Kuali‘i said. “It’s crazy to think that it did happen.”
Kapa‘a resident Lonnie Sykos also lashed at the administration.
“It is inexcusable to lose $1 million,” he said. “It’s just inexcusable, it’s not what we pay people money for.”
The administration, Sykos said, has observed that it has an antiquate system, which may have been the cause of the problem.
“But the fact that the antiquated system is there is the choice of the administration,” he said.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
