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+--- Thread: tax increase announced (/showthread.php?tid=18360)
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tax increase announced - kalakoa - 05-05-2017
http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/gas-property-tax-hikes-coming
Gas tax: from $0.088/gallon to $0.19/gallon, (+$0.02 in 2018 and $0.02 again in 2019)
Property tax, homeowner: from $6.15 to $6.55 per $1000 valuation.
Property tax, residential: from $10.05 to $10.70 per $1000 valuation.
Minimum property tax: from $100 to $200. Reduced to $0 for property worth less than $500.
Elder property tax exemption: raiaed $10K
Council keeps most of their "contingency fund": $675K.
$500K reserved for "new bond debt anticipated".
RE: tax increase announced - TomK - 05-05-2017
"Gas tax: from $0.088/gallon to $0.19/gallon, (+$0.02 in 2018 and $0.02 again in 2019)"
I haven't read the article, but I don't understand the math.
2 + 2 != 10
RE: tax increase announced - Guest - 05-05-2017
This article also tries to explain all the tax increases.
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2017/05/05/tax-increases-coming-mayors-letter-to-council-confirms/
The gas tax is going to go up quite a bit over the next few years. More Puna folks may be looking to start riding the Hele-on bus as registration of a vehicle recently went up as well.
RE: tax increase announced - Johnd - 05-05-2017
More taxes for zilch in services, how da you like dat?!
The County is a hungry bottomless pit of inadequate Civil servants, and the sheep not only has to feed them but bow to them.
Looks like " yakuza puppet Harry" should be serving on the HPP board, he would be right at home there
jdo
RE: tax increase announced - punaticbychoice - 05-06-2017
I'll repeat myself- either Lau or Hoffman would have been better than Kim. Period.
But, 51% of the voters in the Primary elected Kim.
Enjoy the ride.
And keep your wallet open.
RE: tax increase announced - Obie - 05-06-2017
http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/2017/02/breaking-news-county-workers-in-hawaii-make-highest-wages-in-nation/
County workers in Hawaii make highest wages in nation.
This couldn't be part of the problem, could it ? I don't understand how they could get a 4% raise.
RE: tax increase announced - punaticbychoice - 05-06-2017
And the endless "studies".
And the endless kickbacks.
And the endless mindless policies.
And the non-enforcement of such good policy as exists.
RE: tax increase announced - kalakoa - 05-06-2017
how they could get a 4% raise
Per the article above: each 1% raise adds $2.5-3M to the budget.
non-enforcement of such good policy as exists
Be thankful you're not getting all the government you pay for.
RE: tax increase announced - Mtviewdude - 05-06-2017
quote:
Originally posted by Obie
http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/2017/02/breaking-news-county-workers-in-hawaii-make-highest-wages-in-nation/
County workers in Hawaii make highest wages in nation.
This couldn't be part of the problem, could it ? I don't understand how they could get a 4% raise.
It's quite easy to understand if you try and aren't trying to push an agenda.
Just look at who the highest paid employees are. This is in 2013!!
http://westhawaiitoday.com/sections/news/local-news/police-highest-paid-public-employees.html
quote:
Hawaii police officers are the highest-paid public employees in the state, higher even than college professors, according to a West Hawaii Today analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday.
A full-time police officer in Hawaii in March 2011, the month the data was collected, made an average $6,685, compared to a university instructional employee, who made $6,547. Firefighters came in third, making $6,462.
quote:
Entry-level police officers currently are paid about $56,000 to start. The increase will bring that base pay up to $65,000 to $75,000 annually. Officers are also paid a firearm maintenance allowance, hazard pay, stand-by pay and other additions to the salary. A standard of conduct differential pay is included in the mix.
That's without benefits! Just straight pay.
quote:
The lowest-paid employees were support personnel at public elementary and secondary schools, making $2,107 that month, parks and recreation employees, making $3,397, and library employees, making $3,428.
With all the extra's (overtime and etc), they have to pump up the directors pay by 20% because their underlings were making more.
http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/salary-commission-discusses-raises
quote:
HILO — Six Hawaii County department heads and seven deputy directors make less than their subordinates, an issue the county’s Salary Commission will focus on at a meeting next month.
The five-member commission, which determines salaries for the county’s top officials, met Friday for the first time in two years to consider whether additional raises are warranted.
Salary inversion, when an employee makes more than their boss, often a result of union-negotiated pay raises and overtime, was a main topic of discussion, with the commission scheduling another meeting Feb. 17 at the Hilo Council Chambers to further delve into the pay discrepancies.
So while just about everyone is ok with screwing over the janitors and clerks, no one is willing to touch police and fire fighter pay. So there is no real solution to this problem.
I long for the days when people present actual solutions to problems, it seems the political opposition these days is about all complaining and fact manipulation to support their agenda.
I will lead by example. Here is a solution, cap county worker pay at 1.5X the median household income of the island. No one can earn more than that period. Problem solved.
RE: tax increase announced - kalakoa - 05-06-2017
cap county worker pay at 1.5X the median household income
Last I checked: median $48000 * 1.5 = $72000.
Feedback loop: County worker pay is part of that median income.
I suggest: County tax collection should be based on the level of service actually received. If that revenue is insufficient, it's because County is inefficient.
Ige has already said the problem with State efficiency is that the workers don't want to put in the effort; a government job is the pinnacle of local employment, they don't dare put themselves out of work.
Note also: County budget is nearly a half-billion dollars, our share of TAT is $17M. Somehow that last 3.5% is always the reason for "uncertainty" and "difficulty" and "we can't predict ..."