Mayor Kawakami outlines a frugal, yet stable budget in State of the County address

Kauai State of the County address.
Kauai State of the County address.(County of Kauai)
Updated: Mar. 15, 2021 at 5:12 PM HST
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LIHUE, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami presented his 2021 State of the County address on Monday.

In the pre-recorded remarks, Kawakami said there will be no new furloughs, layoffs or tax increases this year, but he admitted fiscally, the county’s budget is being handled very carefully.

“Our fiscal position remains fragile. This year’s budget has no bells or whistles. There are no shiny new facilities or sparkling initiatives,” Mayor Kawakami said. “Additionally, we have not requested any new positions, while 13 positions have been cut to dollar funding, and another 32 positions have been short-funded for six months,” said.

Kawakami says real property tax revenues and General Excise Taxes are stable, however, roughly $15 million dollars in Transient Accommodations Taxes are in limbo.

Kawakami also expressed concerns about Capital Improvement Projects.

“We also know the county’s General Fund is not our only funding resource, and our team has worked hard to utilize outside funding to help us get the work done,” he said, outlining millions of dollars in federal money that was allocated to the county.

He also used the address to thank first responders who have kept the island moving forward during the last year of the pandemic.

Housing was another issue Mayor Kawakami touched on, pointing to the successes of recent housing development, and future plans for the west side community.

Click below to view the address in full:

State of the County 2021

State of the County 2021

Posted by County of Kaua'i on Monday, March 15, 2021

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