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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0091.031 2016-2018 P1 sPEcLkL COUCLL COUNTY CLERK BELL H I PR.2 COUNTY OF HAWAII COMIA. Aloha to you All: 2017 MAY 1 8 PH 12: .3 7 I am writing this testimony to you because unfortunately a clerical error was made on the Hawaiicounty.gov website, which incorrectly directed me to the Waimea Council office to submit public testimony to the council. I am enclosing a copy below of the web page so you can confirm the misinformation. Testimony: My name is Thomas Vincent Keelan, and I live at 44-2883 Kalopa Mauka Road in Honokaa Hawaii. I am a retired teacher as of August 2016. My pension from the time I served the Department of Education is very small, and I am required to pay one-half of my portion of all my medical coverage on a monthly basis, which makes that net check even smaller. I taught for 12 years at Honokaa High School. I have only this and my life savings to live on. During my tenure at this school I was privileged and honored to teach some wonderful students. One of the subjects that I taught was a senior class in Economics. This was an important subject and it was a reality check for those seniors that were about to become adults in the real world. An important concept in that class explaining to students "Wants and Needs". To properly educate them in this area, I required them to create a real life budget to give them an understanding of what it would cost them to get their first private residence. They researched one bedroom apartment costs in Honokaa, Kona, and Hilo. I asked them to interact with their parents to find out some of the other expenses such as cable TV, electric utilities, water and sewer, food budget, cell phone.... I could go on but you get the picture. Then I asked them to add a car to that budget with all its attending expenses.. This was a line item budget and it was very detailed, sort of what you are working on for our County today. When they totaled the line items, we used that figure to arrive at a monthly budget amount. Using that number, we annualized that number and this disclosed to them how much they needed to make in order to live "the way they wanted". Many were stunned when we converted that number to an hourly wage. Most students ended up needing to make at least$24 per hour in wages. The virtual "straw that broke the camels back" was when I required them to account for the taxes, Federal, State, Social Security, Medicare, which we then took out of the gross income amount. Once they understood the real numbers, I required them to go through their budget list and factor in the Needs- Food, Shelter, and clothing versus the Wants- everything else in the budget. Finally, the students had to go through their budget to eliminate the Wants that they could not afford. I would like to believe that your approach to our County Budget is being made the same way.However, the facts speak otherwise.On top of$68 Million in property tax increases over the last five (5) years, our Mayor is proposing another $15.6 Million in new property taxes. This equates to over $421.00 for every man, woman and child on this island based on the 2016 census count. In other words we have faced a 40%property tax increase in the last six years. Today, my property taxes and homeowners insurance are about to exceed the amount I pay in principal and interest on my home loan. This cannot and should not continue. Perhaps you might consider learning from my students experience. Most learned they cannot afford to move out of their parents home when they reach adulthood.They also are aware that the entry costs to eventually getting their own home is spiraling away from them. This is not pono. Comm. No qk 1 Ref. To: [� Ref. Date MAY 1 8 M It is imperative that this Council take the approach on this budget that my students did in the budget exercise I described above. Identify the "Wants" versus the "Needs". Make prudent and disciplined financial choices, even though they are tough to do. Save money for those big ticket items just like my students will have to to get that car, home, or education for their Keiki. Please stop writing checks on the backs of this citizenry that will soon make it unaffordable to live in this wonderful place. I love living in Honokaa, and I and my wife want to live out my retirement years in my home. I also have some questions for you: 1) Is the $800,000.00 a surplus or is it a mandated contingency fund? 2) Given the low rate of interest, why haven't you refinanced the legacy debt and lowered you debt service? 3) Can you please explain how 35,689 parcel, or 25% of all parcels on this island pay $100.00 per year or less on their property taxes? Finally, I would like to suggest a financial solution to some of your shortfall. If you increase the 35,689 parcels annual tax to only$600.00 per year, you would yield$21,413,400.00 in additional property tax. This comes at a monthly cost of only $50.00 per month to those 35,689 parcels. Those who genuinely not afford the increase could have two choices: 1) apply for a deferment allowing the county to recapture the $600.00 per year once that parcel changed ownership. OR 2)have those who cannot afford the increase to apply for hardship. In our school system,parentsapply of children can for free or reduced lunch cost. A similar model could be created. The caveat would be that a county appraiser would be allowed to visit the home/parcel to confirm the hardship GAS TAX PROPOSAL I want to strongly oppose the Mayor's proposal to increase our gas taxes to $.23 per gallon, mirroring Maui. We are not Maui, nor is our citizens wealth close to those who live on Maui. We also drive long distances, especially those like my wie and I who live in Honokaa. My wife drives over 70 miles round trip per day five (5) days a week. This tax would place another unfair burden. on those who can least afford. PLEASE SAY NO TO OUR MAYOR ON THIS UNFAIR INCREASE TO OUR GAS TAXES. I wantY ou to know that I called my Council person and our Mayor to discuss this two days ago. I received no return call. As a teacher, I knew how important it was to return parents phone calls. They were my partners. We are your partners too. Sincerely, T. Vincent Keelan Home : (808 775-8040 e-mail; tvkeelan@gmail.com We invite you to attend and participate in the formulation of legislation and public policy for Hawaii County. Committee meetings and Council meetings are held twice a month either at the Council Chambers located in Hilo or Kona: Council Chambers — Room 1401 Council Chambers — Building A County Building West Hawaii Civic Center 25 Aupuni Street 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway Hilo (Map) Kailua-Kona (Map) Your participation is also welcome at the following locations: Old Kohala Courthouse 54-3900 Akoni Pule Highway Kapa'au (Map) Na`alehu State Office Pahoa Neighborhood Waimea Council Office Building Facility Holumua Center 95-5669 Mamalahoa 15-2710 Kauhale Street 64-1067 Mamalahoa Highway, Highway Pahoa (Map) Suite 5 Na`alehu (Map) Waimea (Map) Please check the meeting agenda(s) on our Agendas and Actions web page about participating or testifying at these locatii GIVING OR SUBMITTING TESTIMONY... Oral Public Testimony: Oral public testimony is heard at the beginning of each Committee or Council meeting for items on item. Written Public Testimony: The deadline for submission of written public testimony is before 12:00 noon on the business of your written public testimony: By mail to: Office of the County Clerk • 25 Aupuni Street• Hilo, HI 96720 By facsimile to: (808) 961-8912 By e-mail to: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov Please submit separate written public testimony for each agenda item. Written Public Testimony Submitted Past Deadline: If you miss the deadline for written public testimony, the Office of the meeting.When submitting written public testimony at a Committee meeting, please see a Committee Services staff person s written public testimony. The Office of the County Clerk advises that you bring fourteen (14) copies of the written public testir Sent from my iPhone