Comm No 0021.002 - Testimony - CA-7 - PONC fund and Maintenance fund

Home

From: Doug Perrine <perrine@hawaii.rr.com> Sent: Sunday, December 9, 2018 4:02 PM To: Charter Commission Subject: testimony regarding proposal CA -7 on Dec. 14, 2018 agenda (to amend provisions regarding PONC fund in secs 10-15 & 10-6 of County Charter) Please respond acknowledging receipt of testimony. Mahalo. Dear Charter Commission Members: These are my comments regarding the proposal CA -7 to reduce the County's annual contribution to the PONC (open space) fund from the 2% level which has been twice affirmed by the voters by a substantial margin to a nominal level of 0.5%, which is effectively 0% due to the provision that it may be suspended whenever the Director of Finance determines that it is "necessary to prevent a reduction in the level of public services." First, please note that Mayor Kim and his successor/ predecessor Mayor Kenoi both argued that the contribution to the PONC fund resulted in a reduction of public services during each and every year of their administrations, even though Mayor Kim ended up with a surplus at the end of his first term. Therefore, the intent of this proposal is actually to eliminate the PONC fund completely. Mayor Kim has argued that if the County's contribution to the PONC fund was reduced or eliminated, he could use the money to hire more police officers and fire & safety responders. These arguments are entirely specious, as the County has never been able to fill the funded positions for police and fire personnel. The problem is a lack of qualified recruits, and not the availability of funds. The County administration is a hungry beast that can never be satiated regardless of the amount of tax dollars provided to it. Mayor Kenoi was able to balance the budget during the great recession when property tax revenues were greatly reduced. By the time Mayor Kim started his first term, not only had the property tax rate been raised significantly on "investment properties," but property evaluations had skyrocketed, so that County revenues were soaring. Yet Mayor Kim insisted he still couldn't fund the County government. Next year the County will have additional revenues from the increased GE tax, and yet Mayor Kim insists that he still will not have enough. Money from the State and Federal governments for emergency expenditures has been coming in faster than the County can spend it. Another news item stated that many County departments were unable to spend their entire budget allocations because the eruption interfered with their normal operations. The Herald -Tribune further reported that, based on the additional revenues anticipated from the GET, the County Council approved a budget for 2018-2019 that was $6 million more than the budget proposed by Mayor Kim, and sets a historic high for County of Hawaii budgets. So $6 million more than what he said he needs is not enough for Mayor Kim to run the County without stealing from the inheritance of our keiki? Mayor Kenoi also said we couldn't afford open space and natural beauty because he needed every penny to run the bureaucratic machinery. He actually (illegally) suspended contributions to the PONC fund for a couple of years. What were these terribly urgent things that he needed so badly that we had to preclude any attempt to preserve the incredible natural beauty that we have on our island? Among the charges that Mayor Kenoi paid with our tax dollars were, according to news reports: over $100,000 on travel and hotel charges, including stays at the Four Seasons in San Francisco; $2,100 at a sushi bar in Waikoloa; $900 and $400 tabs at hostess bars in Honolulu; a $1200 surfboard; and a $900 bicycle. A few years later, I don't feel that the citizens of Hawaii County are getting any value from that fancy surfboard. In contrast, the areas of natural beauty and historic significance that we have purchased with PONC funds will be there for us, and our descendants, to enjoy forever. I consider this proposition to be not only an assault on the natural beauty of our very special island, but also an assault on the principles of democracy. Voter initiatives are meaningless if the measures enacted have to be 1 Comm. No. 21.2