COM 0150.020 2012-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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�p:5;�� , . Walter K.M.Lau Managing Director William P.Kenoi •: s: :_ � •*: Mayor __ 'e' Randall M.Kurohara *kV: »•.;;,0 '' Deputy Managing Director County of Hawai`i Office of the Mayor 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo,Hawai`i 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Me Keohokalole Hwy.,Bldg.C • Kailua-Kona,Hawai`i 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 May 2, 2013 i QC) The Honorable Chairman J Yoshimoto And Members of the Hawai`i County Council N c:'{ County of Hawai`i .. 25 Aupuni Street = Hilo, HI 96720 M Dear Chairman Yoshimoto and Council Members: As required by the Hawai`i County Charter, the amended operating budget proposal for the County of Hawaii for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 is hereby submitted. This balanced budget includes estimated revenues and appropriations of$394,318,524 and includes the operations of eleven of the County's special funds as well as the General Fund. This budget is $8,886,474 less than the budget in effect when this administration began in 2008. Overview I would like to thank each of the members of the Hawai`i County Council for your support and assistance in formulating a budget to maintain core county services in the year ahead. Our first obligation is always to properly protect our residents, deliver services to the elderly and the needy, provide for positive recreational opportunities for our children and provide an array of other essential services to our growing community. We are proud of our record in fulfilling these obligations despite unprecedented challenges during the past four years. We are determined to again meet our obligations to our residents in the year ahead, and to position our county to serve the growing needs of our communities in the future. This budget proposal is the culmination of the very challenging years that have become known as the Great Recession. During the years that followed the economic turmoil of 2007 and 2008, our county tax collections declined and this county was forced to engage in an unprecedented series of budget reductions. County tax collections declined from$225.9 million in the year we took office to $198.3 million in the current year,which placed enormous strains on county government. This administration responded by cutting the county budget for four consecutive years, from$403 million when this administration began to $365 million in the current budget year.This required that county government become more efficient in order to maintain core services to the public. We witnessed an extraordinary effort by our county employees, who managed to maintain core services for our community despite a shrinking budget. `e,. t t 31, Dr,, Comm. No. 150. f2.O County of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Ref.To: 1',F'ua Ll 1 Ref. DateJA.AY 0 2. 7 n t