Apana lets Maui tax
hike become law

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

WAILUKU >> Maui County Mayor James "Kimo" Apana will allow a County Council bill to raise the annual vehicle weight tax to become law, despite his objections to the measure's timing.

The bill increases the vehicle weight tax by 66 percent for passenger vehicles and 33 percent for heavy-equipment road vehicles.

In a letter to the Council yesterday, Apana said the increase was unwarranted now, and he believed the price jump should have been delayed for a year.

"So many of our businesses and residents are just getting back on their feet following the effects of the Sept. 11th disaster, and the timing is inopportune," Apana said.

But the mayor did not veto the weight tax bill and will let it become law on Jan. 1.

The bill increases the per-pound weight fee to 1.25 cents from three-quarters of a cent for passenger vehicles, adding about $10 to $20 yearly to each passenger vehicle.

The measure also increases the fee to 2 cents from 1.5 cents for trucks, trailers and heavy-equipment road vehicles.

The Council has projected that the increase in weight tax fees will raise about $1 million more in road repair revenues for half of fiscal year 2002-2003 and an estimated $2 million in fiscal 2003-2004.

An increase in the vehicle registration fee to $9.50 from $6 is expected to take effect in July.

While he objected to the tax increase, Apana did not veto it because the money it would raise was included in the Council's $268.8 million budget for fiscal 2002-03, which the mayor signed into law yesterday.