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Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council <br />March 1, 2011 <br />Page 10 <br />CONCLUSION <br />Our island community is growing, and has maintained the values that make the County of <br />Hawaii the special place that we call home. Ours is a community where neighbors look out for <br />one another, and where people pitch in to work together on park improvements and community <br />clean -up projects. In good times and in difficult times such as these, we recognize our connection <br />to one another, and our obligation to reach out to help one another. <br />This budget reflects those values. This budget protects services for our elderly and youth, and <br />preserves funding for the non -profit organizations that touch the most needy residents of our <br />island. It also properly funds the essential public safety services that keep our families and <br />communities safe. This is the third consecutive year that we have increased the share of the <br />county budget that is devoted to public safety, even while we cut the budget as a whole. <br />This budget demands more of our county employees because it once again cuts county spending <br />and reduces staffing. We recognize that this three -year period of declining budgets has been <br />difficult for our public workers, requiring that they make do with limited resources, and become <br />more efficient. In this recession more than any other, our county workforce has shared the <br />sacrifice, and I thank them for their efforts. <br />We are seeing signs of an economic recovery, and we know our long -term economic outlook is <br />excellent. We are ready to use our borrowing power and our excellent credit rating to advance <br />public works projects to stimulate our island economy. We will work tirelessly with our partners <br />to encourage economic growth that will benefit our families, and will provide meaningful jobs <br />and educational opportunities for our children. <br />This budget plans for the recovery that we know is coming, and lays a foundation for the <br />community that we want to become. It also assures that we will live within our means until a <br />complete recovery arrives. <br />My staff and I welcome the opportunity to discuss this budget in further detail with you and to <br />answer any concerns that you may have. Thank you for your consideration. <br />Aloha, <br />William P. Kenoi <br />MAYOR <br />Attachment <br />