Council approves 4.1% budget increase: Parks, Fire, Police, licensing clerks among additions to Roth’s budget

County vehicles collect rubbish at the Kealakehe Transfer Station. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

County vehicles collect rubbish at the Kealakehe Transfer Station. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

Equipment for firefighters, repairs at parks, beefed up computer systems, more hours of community policing, four additional vehicle registration and licensing clerks and money for council contingency accounts added $1 million to Mayor Mitch Roth’s proposed operating budget, bringing the final tally to $610.1 million after final passage Thursday by the Hawaii County Council.