COM 0124.043 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Honorable Stacy K. Higa Page 3 May 5, 2005 Department of Agriculture, and the Big Island Invasive Species Council. These agencies have been working together without any resources to try and control coqui frog infestations on Hawaii Island. The areas of focus will be: • Education and community awareness • Biological and chemical research of control methods • Community based identification and eradication of infestations island wide. This is an administrative priority. Special Project Manager Program. $50,000 is included to initiate a Special Project Manager Program. This program will utilize the skills, knowledge, and abilities of retired citizens who will serve as special project managers for various County projects. This will help the County meet its obligations in all areas. New Positions. Two positions are included in this budget proposal. GIS Analyst I. The Geographic Information System (GIS) has become a necessary function of County operations. Requests for printed maps and new specialized GIS layers are increasing daily from departments. There is currently no backup to the existing GIS Analyst position. The addition of a GIS Analyst I will enable the Data Systems Department to create new layers, acquire satellite & air imagery, carry out new applications, and provide timely assistance to County departments and emergency service agencies. Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Coordinator. Due to piecemeal grant funding for the County's Sex Assault Nurse Examiner program, the program is constantly at risk. A fulltime SAFE Coordinator position is being requested to perform recruitment, training, and coordination. The position will also add the stability the program requires to be successful. Since six positions requested in our original budget are being approved for hiring in the current fiscal year, our new position count is less than originally submitted. REVENUE CHANGES Real Property Taxes. Real property tax revenues have been reduced by $447,000 to reflect the certified net taxable real property values. We recommend that no changes be made to property tax rates. Public Service Company Tax. The estimated public service company tax has increased by $500,000 to reflect our current rate of collection. Intergovernmental Revenues. Adjustments have been made to the Federal Transit Administration grant ($583,000), the Rural Transit Administration program ($24,255), the Coordinated Services grants (-$80,000), and the Transient Accommodation Tax (TAT) (-$193,000), while funding for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive program ($47,400) and Coqui frog eradication ($100,000) have been added.