November 1987 Home   Newsletters

December 1987

January 1988

President's Message (Arlene Ellis)
Vote Count
Helping the Poor -- Whose Repsonsibility? (Jean Aoki)
Consensus Meeting on Meeting Basic Human Needs
Hunger Numbers
Poor: Myths vs Reality
City Funds Meeting
Initiative Forum
Water Conference
Welcome Back
Meeting Basic Human Needs: Committee Report (Jean Aoki)
Letters (M.R. R.)
Be a Part of the Aloha Voter

City Funds Meeting

Linda Smith, Director of the Department of Finance, City and County of Honolulu spoke with members of the general membership meeting on November 14.

Members left with materials, notes and a lot of information on the departments functions, revenue sources and thoughts on city-state relations plus a grasp of responsibilities for the ongoing services provided by each segment of government.

One quotable quote: We are lucky here in Honolulu, our city is seen as probably one of the most thriving, growing cities in the United States... Honolulu is a good place to invest money.

This statement is particularly relevant in light of bond sales necessary for major sewer repairs, the H-Power project, future needs for transportation, and any other capital projects which might be planned to accommodate future needs for our island.

Other highlights--Property taxes remain the major source of funding for operation of the City and County; while rates are comparatively low, there are elements of differences such as the high valuations of residential properties in comparison with many other areas. It was noted that public utilities are exempt from property taxes by state law (HRS 239-3). Addition-ally, it was noted that state grants to counties are based on resident population and an assessment of the general tax effort and relative income of the counties. Thus Honolulu receives a per capita grant of state aid of $3.40 while Kauai receives $59.49 per capita.

The committee will be following this meeting with discussions and other interviews. All members are welcome to join in. Watch the calendar for future meeting dates.

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