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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 598 Draft 01 2020-2022 A RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAI‘I STATE LEGISLATURE TO AMEND SECTIONS 46-16.8 AND 243-6, HAWAI‘I REVISED STATUTES, TO ALLOW FOR A PERCENTAGE OF GENERAL EXCISE AND FUEL TAXES GENERATED BY THE COUNTIES, PURSUANT TO THOSE STATUTES, TO BE USED FOR MAINTENANCE OF PRIVATE ROADWAYS THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WHEREAS, Hawai‘i Island has a large inventory of privately-owned roadways that are open to the public; and WHEREAS, persons living in subdivisions serviced by such roadways presumably pay general excise and fuel taxes, which comprise the major source of funding for the highway maintenance program for the County of Hawai‘i; and WHEREAS, Sections 46-16.8 (county surcharge on State tax) and 243-6 (fuel taxes, dispositions), Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, are the State enabling legislations which authorize the counties to impose such taxes; and WHEREAS, the use of the funds generated from those taxes are, by the terms of the two enabling laws, limited to “public” or “county” roadways, which have generally been interpreted as excluding private roads; and WHEREAS, amending those two laws to allow the counties to use a percentage of the funds generated by those taxes for the maintenance of privately-owned roadways that are open to the public could greatly improve the quality of life for persons having to travel such roads on a daily basis; and WHEREAS, if for no other reason, improved maintenance of such roads would enhance emergency response times to those areas and result in less wear and tear on government-owned emergency response vehicles; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I that it urges the Hawai‘i State Legislature to amend Sections 46-16.8 and 243-6, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, to allow for a percentage of general excise and fuel taxes generated by the counties, pursuant to those statutes, to be used for maintenance of private roadways that are open to the public. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall transmit a copy of this resolution to all Hawai‘i State Senators and Representatives. Dated at _____________, Hawai‘i, this ______ day of ___________________, 20___. INTRODUCED BY: _______________________________________ COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawai‘i Hilo, Hawai‘i ROLL CALL VOTE    AYES NOES ABS EX   CHUNG       DAVID       I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the County of Hawai‘i on _____________________________________. INABA       KĀNEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER       KIERKIEWICZ       KIMBALL      ATTEST: LEE LOY       RICHARDS       VILLEGAS              Reference:  COUNTY CLERK CHAIRPERSON & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO.