HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-01-19 Letter to Donovan Dela Cruz & Sylvia Luke re Hawaii Council of Mayors Initiatives for the 2018 Legislative Session
January 19, 2018
To: Honorable Donovan Dela Cruz, Chair & Members
Senate Committee on Ways and Means
Honorable Sylvia Luke, Chair & Members
House Committee on Finance
Subject: Hawai‘i Council of Mayors Initiatives for the 2018 Legislative Session
The Hawaii Council of Mayors extends our appreciation to Committee Chairs Senator
Donovan Dela Cruz and Representative Sylvia Luke, as well as to each member of these
honorable committees for this opportunity to present our legislative priorities to you today. As
Mayors, we are united on those issues that impact our counties collectively. Each of our counties
also has its own unique issues, so we are grateful that each mayor has an opportunity to share
their county’s respective legislative requests with you. We are enthusiastic to work in
collaboration with each of you to explore solutions to the issues facing all of us this legislative
session.
As Mayors, we are unified and respectfully asking for your support on the following
three issues:
(1) Fair Distribution of TAT between State and Counties – HCOM urges the
legislature to adopt and follow the State-County Functions Working Group’s recommendations
as to what would be a fair distribution of TAT funds between the state and counties.
Specifically, HCOM recommends that the Legislature support HB 1665 that provides a 55-45
percent split between the state and counties, in lieu of the Legislature placing a cap of $103
million for all counties. While we appreciate the TAT funds provided each county, the counties
must again emphasize our right to a fair share of the TAT and believe that the 55-45 % split is
fair.
(2)Lifeguard Tort Liability – The counties seek your support for HB 1662 to
permanently provide legal immunity for county lifeguards to ensure civil liability protection for
county lifeguards – a benefit state lifeguards have.
.
Senator Dela Cruz/Rep. Sylvia Luke
Informational Briefing
Testimony of HCOM
January 19, 2018
Page 2 of 2
(3)County Taxing Authority - In an effort to generate alternative sources of
revenue to address each county’s budgetary challenges, the counties urge the Hawaii Legislature
to support HB 1664 relating to County Taxing Authority. Providing the counties with such
taxing mechanism would allow the counties to be less dependent on revenue sources such as fuel
tax revenue which is predicted to decline with the increase in electric, hybrid, and other fuel
efficient vehicles.
In addition to HCOM’s priorities listed above, other concerns facing the State and the
Counties are the increasing impacts in our communities as a result of homelessness and the lack
of a deep draft harbor on any of the neighboring islands. Should there be a major catastrophic
incident on Oahu, a deep-draft harbor is the only acceptable alternative capable of
accommodating transpacific shipping.
On behalf of the people of the counties of Hawai‘i, Maui and Kaua‘i and the City and
County of Honolulu, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for all of your dedication
and commitment to making Hawai‘i a special place to live. We truly live in the best place on
earth!
Aloha and Mahalo,
Alan Arakawa, Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr.,Mayor
County of Maui County of Kaua‘i
Harry Kim, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Mayor
County of Hawai‘i City and County of Honolulu