Senator’s care home
owes taxes

A nonprofit adult day care center headed by state Sen. Cal Kawamoto has failed to pay more than $2,100 in property taxes over three years.

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The City Council's Budget Committee will take up a proposed $500 settlement of the back taxes owed by the Waipahu Community Adult Day Health Center and Youth Day Care, whose executive director is Kawamoto (D, Waipahu).

The tax compromise is being sought because the center is a nonprofit agency and should have received an exemption from paying taxes.

"This organization failed to apply for an exemption until 2004, resulting in its current delinquent tax position," according to a letter to the City Council from Budget Director Ivan Lui-Kwan.

A 1988 City Council resolution allows tax compromises for nonprofit agencies for delinquent back taxes under such circumstances.

The center has not paid property taxes for three tax years, according to the letter. The center was billed $1,163 for 2002, $903 for 2003 and $100 for 2004, according to a copy of the tax bill that is attached to the letter.

The mailing address on the tax bill is Kawamoto's home, and his Senate fax machine phone number is listed on the bottom of the bill.

On his state Senate Web site, Kawamoto lists himself as the center's executive director.

State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs records also list Kawamoto as the center's agent.

Kawamoto's home address is listed as the center's mailing address in other records.

Kawamoto did not return several phone calls seeking comment.

Construction of the new center was completed last year, and it dedicated in August 2003.

The $3 million building includes a multipurpose room, kitchen, shower and administrative offices.

At the time the building was dedicated, Kawamoto said the center was built with $2.7 million from the city and $245,000 grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

The building was supposed to house a preschool and adult day care center for senior citizens, but only the Head Start program has opened, according to retired school Vice Principal Clarence Nishihara, Kawamoto's opponent in the upcoming Democratic primary election.

"It's a building without a program," Nishihara said.

Lui-Kwan said late yesterday that he did not deal directly with representatives of the center for tax compromise.

Instead, he worked through city Community Services Director Mike Amii, whose department deals with nonprofit agencies. Amii could not be reached for comment.