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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0533.058 2000-2002 May 11, 2002 ~~:;iavq u_.~ Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd r~rne_______~,-.a.....,-~~~ - 25 Aupuni Street ~Pc,.~,ntY dun&~~ ~xi HiIo,HI 96720 Dear Ms Leithead-Todd, I am a property-tax payer in Kona. I understand that you need more revenue to balance the budget and mare much needed improvements but PLEASE do not raise our taxes UNLESS you can assure us that you are willing to spend a air amount o~ our tax money for in in~ra-structure improvements in West Hawaii. Just to name a ~ew o~ the most glaring needs: Our roads and streets are not only congested but are crumbling, to be more exact they are disintegrating rapidly. We do not have nearly enough maulza-malzai connector roads to be sae in case of a tsunami. Or even for emergency vehicles to be able to respond to any critical need. We need the same improvements that the east side o~ our island have already gotten. The inequality o~ county spending is a glaring fact. One has only to drive down the streets o~ East Hawaii and compare them with the streets in Kona. Here are some acts to support my belie that you have spent our tax monies unfairly: West Hawaii pays more than twice as much to County revenue as East Hawaii, even though the population is only 72% as large (62,128 versus 86,549). The per capita ratio of tax contributions is even more revealing: West Hawaii businesses and residents contribute 3 times as much as East Hawaii, per capita. This means that West Hawaii residents and businesses (~rom Hawi to Na'alehu) pay 76% o~ all county property taxes. East Hawaii pays only 24% o~ county taxes I~ you are going to raise our taxes I ash you to be lair and equitable with your expenditures. Sincerely, Luella Wiese Alii Lani D 101 75-6081 Alii Drive Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 1-808-334-9669 lu@hawaii.rr.com e~ Ref.