In State of the County, Kawakami says worst of COVID on Kauai is ‘behind us’
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Despite the pandemic, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami says he believes the county has fulfilled its promise to always care for what is has while investing in the future.
“At times, COVID-19 may have broken us down,” he said, in his State of the County address Monday. “But every day we found new ways to build each other back up. And every day we grew stronger. While COVID-19 is not over, the worst is behind us, and we have prevailed.”
Kawakami was delivering his fourth State of the County address.
In it, he proposed an operating budget of about $260 million and a capital improvement budget of nearly $49 million.
He said his goals include ensuring county employees have the training and resources needed to do their jobs, creating more affordable housing, and making progress in decades-old deferred maintenance and infrastructure projects without having to raise taxes or debt.
“I don’t take any of my responsibilities for granted and I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead,” he said. “I stand before you today, on the fourth year of my first term in office, a little older, a little wiser. But more ambitious. More determined. And more resilient than ever.”
Other projects Kawakami says he is focused on include: Building a shared-use path on the west side, identifying a new landfill site as the Kekaha location nears capacity, and opening Kauai’s Adolescent Treatment and Healing Center for keiki struggling with substance abuse.
Kawakami is running for a second term.
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