Kim asks for more
money for Big Island

By Rod Thompson
Big Island correspondent

HILO >> Big Island Mayor Harry Kim is proposing a 2001-2002 county budget of $193.5 million, 10 percent larger than this year's budget.

The budget must be approved by the Hawaii County Council.

Kim told the Council in his submittal, "Upon review, you will find that the majority of cost increases are due to expenditures beyond the county's control.

"These include the negotiated and arbitrated wage increases, the $7.3 million increase in our employees retirement system contributions, the $1.3 million increase in health fund costs, and spiraling fuel and electricity costs."

There were some modest bright spots in the picture, including 7.2 percent growth in real property valuations and anticipated taxes plus another 4.5 percent over last year's property tax collections due to the anticipated settlement of a large delinquent account.

The county would get $4.1 million in new revenues if the Legislature approves a new public service company tax.

The county is hoping for $16.6 million as its share of the state hotel room tax, a $3.3 million increase over last year.

But eating into those increases are flood cleanup costs from last November, without which the county could have carried over some savings from this year to next year, Kim said.