Tax Increase Will be Necessary

[Chunkster]

Doesn't the council have to pass any tax increases? Has anyone heard what our Puna council members think about this? I noted that Kim is making sure they get their slush fund, . . . excuse me, contingency money, so my guess is that they will cave in. Nothing will change in this county or state until the stranglehold that the public employees unions have on the government is broken, and nothing less than a revolution will make that happen. Pitchforks, anyone?

[kalakoa]

So what is Kim's excuse for raising property taxes?

Each 1% raise for the public employees needs about a 1.5% property tax increase to cover the cost.

Anyone else notice where the County budget allocated $500K to cover the costs of a new bond issue? Debt service for which will be covered by more tax increases next budget cycle...

the stranglehold that the public employees unions have on the government

Either de-fund them, or keep expanding County government until everyone has a job. Unfortunately, haoles aren't welcome at County.

[alaskyn66]

Time to trim the County fat. Most county services could be outsourced to the private sector for the lowest bid... and still have more efficiency that what the county provides now.even the lowest bidders will work just hard enough to keep the contracts.

[wax]

What is particularly striking albout today's proposed tax increase is that it occurs at a time when the economy is strong and real estate prices are on the rise. If the County cannot balance the budget in times like these - short of a significant tax increase - then we have the wrong leadership. To cut to the chase one can only conclude that the County government is simply too big and too expensive for the County's residents. IF we have to raise taxes now - what will happen when the economy (and land prices/values) down shift?

Frankly, this is an ideal time for the County to cut expenses in the neighborhood of 10% - whatever it takes to do that. This will 1) reduce employment costs and pension costs for the long run and 2) right size the government making it work better. Remember that in 2000 when Harry Kim first became Mayor the County budget was about $175million. Today - 17 years later we are looking at about $485million. That is nearly a 300% increase. Inflation is not the reason. Growth in population is not the reason. The County government has grown disproportionate to both growth and inflation. One has to ask the obvious question: do we have a better government with better services today and if so is it that much better? In that context the reality is that government growth on the Island has been out of control. The size needs to be throttled back. Frankly, I think we have less community sensitive and less community servicing government than we did back then.

Let's hope our County Council agrees and forces a throttle back.

[reni]

"Time to trim the County fat. Most county services could be outsourced to the private sector for the lowest bid... and still have more efficiency that what the county provides now.even the lowest bidders will work just hard enough to keep the contracts." AGREE!!
however, I no longer believe that Government is here to serve the taxpayers. That political monster has a life of its' own...and we're just here to keep it fed.

"The County government has grown disproportionate to both growth and inflation."
agree! and also believe Gov. will continue to grow, shrinking the services that it is supposed to be providing to the community. It will feed itself first, at the expense of all of us. There is no worthy opponent to politics as usual.

[randomq]

I worked for a big company through the recession. They actually managed to get rid of a lot of dead wood when downsizing and it became a better place to work, even with the increased workload. Of course, a few weasels and suits kept their jobs too...

Who do you think would get let go here, if there were cutbacks?

[randomq]

Or... Maybe we are just pioneering "basic income" here in Hawaii County!

[kalakoa]

Let's hope our County Council agrees and forces a throttle back.

Council got to keep their "discretionary" funds, so they'll go along with the tax increases.

Who do you think would get let go here, if there were cutbacks?

As I pointed out elsewhere: since all land is "sacred" (or "near someone's house"), we can basically do away with the Building and Planning departments.