City measures
spur squabbles

The City Council and the mayor trade barbs
over tax increases and stalled initiatives

The honeymoon may not be over, but the finger pointing has started between the mayor and the City Council.

And, as usual, it's about the money.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Council members traded tough words yesterday about the budget, the vote delay on raising the general excise tax, and curbside recycling.

After Hannemann criticized Council members Charles Djou and Rod Tam for the latest political maneuverings, five Council members met to rally support for one another.

"What disturbs me is some of the personal attacks. We certainly wouldn't do that to any person in the administration," Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi said.

"An attack on one councilmember is an attack on the entire Council," Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz said following the gathering.

The harsh words came two days after the City Council approved a $1.36 billion operating budget and a $478 million construction budget. They also approved several tax and fee increases.

The mayor must now decide whether to sign the bills.

But first, he gave his appraisal of the Council's performance.

"Much of the rancor, much of the contentiousness, much of the confrontation was absent this time around because we clearly wanted to work with the City Council," Hannemann said. He went on to talk about "glitches" in his six-month relationship with the Council.

Hannemann said Djou speaks against raising taxes, but then turns around and requests $677,000 worth of construction projects for his district.

"With Charles, you can't have it both ways. You can't knock your councilmembers, knock the administration and play the populist tag and at the same time welcome all the projects that either you initiated into the budget or that the councilmembers have championed on your behalf," Hannemann said.

To Councilman Rod Tam, who's delayed a vote on the general excise tax, Hannemann said, "I would say you've got to get past that Koko Head Crater mentality that he had with the landfill, where he brought that out in the last minute and I think he was trying to do that (Monday)."

Last year, Tam suggested considering a landfill in Koko Head Crater, an idea that was ridiculed and then quickly rejected.

He also blamed the Council for delaying curbside recycling.

Councilwoman Barbara Marshall noted that members of Hannemann's administration on Monday said they wouldn't blame the Council for any delay in curbside recycling.

"So here we are less than 24 hours later, blaming the Council for a delay that hasn't even happened yet," Marshall said.

Kobayashi said the delay on curbside recycling has been caused by two protests to the bidding process, and not by the Council.

Tam said he was surprised and disappointed by the mayor's comments. He said his amendments to the general excise tax increase were meant to address public concern, an issue he had discussed with the mayor.

"The idea of focusing on the money is the wrong approach, I mentioned to him," Tam said. "Money is always emotional."

But the five council members said they don't think that the exchange of words between the legislative and executive branches is anywhere near the contention they had with former Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration.

"I do not view this as a breakdown, a sudden huge rift between the administration and the City Council. I hope the mayor doesn't either," Djou said.