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Marshall likely will seek
re-election to Council

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City Councilwoman Barbara Marshall is expected to announce today that she is seeking re-election.

Marshall represents the 3rd Council District, which covers Waimanalo, Kailua and most of Kaneohe.

Marshall noted that accomplishments in one year of serving on the Council included providing tax relief for farmers and elderly low-income homeowners, and helping to end the bus strike.

Today is the first day candidates can file papers for the 2004 elections. The first special election for the City Council is Sept. 18.

House panel approves $3 million for audits

The House Finance Committee has approved a proposed $23 million annual budget for the Legislature this year that provides no increases, except for advancing the state auditor $3 million to begin financial audits of several state departments and agencies.

Those audits, previously arranged by the state administration, became auditor Marion Higa's responsibility after the Legislature in July overrode Gov. Linda Lingle's veto of a bill handing authority to Higa's office.

Committee Chairman Dwight Takamine (D, Hawi-Hilo) said overall, the "flat budget" reflects lawmakers' concern about focusing available state resources on the priorities of education reform and the offensive against the "ice" drug epidemic.

The bill that goes to the full House for a vote before moving to the Senate provides $5.25 million for the Senate and $7.54 million for the House operations.

It provided no increases for the Legislature's related agencies, except for $3 million to launch a revolving fund in Higa's office to begin contracting audits previously contracted by the state administration. Expenditures from the revolving fund to pay for audits would be reimbursed to the fund from the department or agency audited.

Voting against the legislative appropriations bill Friday were Republican Reps. Colleen Meyer (Laie-Kahaluu) and Mark Moses (Makakilo-Kapolei). They said they were concerned about Higa's determination of how much she needed for the audit revolving fund.

Takamine said he's satisfied with Higa's numbers, which were higher than projections provided by state Comptroller Russ Saito, whose department previously handled the contracting of financial audits.

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