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Mayor Jeremy Harris called it bringing government back to people. Councilman Mufi Hannemann called it "political theatrics."
Either way you look at it, the mayor's news conference yesterday unveiling the city budget was different.
Among those joining reporters in the courtyard of Honolulu Hale were City Council members, Cabinet officials, longtime political supporters and representatives of the city's 19 vision teams.
Harris created the vision teams two years ago so community-based groups could find direct government aid for their areas.
Harris yesterday, for the second year in a row, set aside $2 million for each of the groups as part of his $268 million capital improvements budget.
After the mayor was done, representatives from each of the 19 groups stood up to give presentations on projects they were working on.
For instance, Jeff Overton of the North Shore group spoke about improvements to the Kawailoa Transfer Station. Christine Oh of the Mililani Mauka group talked about an ambulance facility.
Nearly all thanked Harris for his support of the vision groups.
Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura thanked vision team members for their hours of service and vowed: "As one City Council member among nine, I am committed to fully funding all of your vision team projects."
Hannemann, who is in Baltimore on personal business and did not attend yesterday's news conference, charged Harris with grandstanding.
Hannemann said neither Harris nor Yoshimura should be giving blanket endorsement to all of the vision projects without proper review and scrutiny.
"I think no one is dissing the community-based planning process, certainly not me," Hannemann said by telephone. "All I'm saying is each of these projects should undergo some form of scrutiny."
He noted that one vision team project -- involving an equestrian center in Waimanalo -- was pulled back from a Planning Commission agenda recently because of unexpected opposition from a number of irate area farmers.
"We cannot just assume everyone is participating in the vision program," Hannemann said.
Said Harris: "If there's one thing we should have learned over the years, it's that the bureaucrats and politicians don't necessarily know what is best for the neighborhoods, that to get a better feeling of what is best for the neighborhoods, you've got to go to the neighborhoods."
In Waianae, mayor plans
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
a new ‘emergency’ road
Star-BulletinMayor Jeremy Harris is proposing that $1 million be used for designing an alternate "emergency" route to Farrington Highway along the Waianae Coast.
The issue re-erupted in January when a standoff with a gunman caused police to block the highway, stranding thousands of motorists for hours.
State officials shunned the idea of a second major road after determining it would cost upwards of $500 million.
Harris said that his plan is simpler, and would involve "the hooking together and the upgrading of existing roadways" mauka of and parallel to Farrington Highway.
Initial estimates show the project would cost between $30 million and $48 million, Harris said, adding he's hoping to receive state and federal funding.
Other highlights of his $1.02 billion operating budget and $268 million capital improvements budget:
Harris said he'll make up for $19 million in reduced property tax collections by relying on anticipated increases in federal grants, hotel room taxes and waste disposal collections, the latter despite deferral of higher landfill-use fees.
He is also banking on receiving at least $10 million for the sale of leased fee interests at the Harbor Court condominium project downtown.
The City Council will begin budget deliberations on March 13.
City & county of Honolulu
