Yesterday, Mayor Mitch Roth delivered his proposed $794,316,957 operating budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 to the Hawaiʻi County Council.

As part of his budget message to the Council, Mayor Roth noted that revenue is projected to increase in several key areas, including $10.7 million in real property tax, $10 million in GET surcharge, and $5 million in the Hawaiʻi County transient accommodations tax. However, he also mentioned that with the revenue increases, the budget would also see increased expenditures, mainly due to collective bargaining and uncontrollable cost increases.

The budget places a significant emphasis on infrastructure and maintenance projects, including investments in protecting the environment, such as the investment in the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant. It also includes an increase in the Parks maintenance budget from roughly $450,000 in 2020 to just over $2 million in FY 23-24, taking into account the facilities’ importance to the community’s health.

Other expenditure highlights Mayor Roth included funding for homelessness and housing production, an upgraded Police fleet, bolstering paving miles, amplifying public transportation, and improved County information technology systems that will ultimately improve services across the board for all constituents.

“The budget reflects our administration’s commitment to maintaining crucial services while making significant investments in long-overdue infrastructure maintenance projects essential to preserving Hawai’i Island’s natural and cultural resources,” said Mayor Mitch Roth in a statement.  Roth continued, “The investments are crucial to creating a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island, where future generations can thrive and succeed.”

Mayor Roth also noted that investing in the county’s employees is essential for providing quality services to the public. Therefore, the budget includes funding for enhanced training opportunities for all departments and education funding to support employees in advancing their knowledge and skill sets.

In his conclusion, Mayor Roth emphasized that the proposed budget “prioritizes addressing long-standing issues and investing in projects that could have devastating impacts on the health and well-being of the community.” He also mentioned that the administration’s pursuit of innovation through public-private partnerships and exploratory research and development to ensure the sustainability of the island home, including forging partnerships with university systems to save millions of taxpayer dollars in the planning phase of an all-encompassing wastewater master plan for the entire island.

The full proposed operating budget for FY23-24 can be seen at: https://tinyurl.com/2wtvtu67