Budget Committee Meeting Summary: January 13, 2026
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Budget Committee Meeting Summary: January 13, 2026
On January 13, 2026, the Honolulu City Council Committee on Budget, chaired by Councilmember Okimoto, convened to discuss and vote on eight agenda items including resolutions for fund transfers, fare increases, and bills on transparency and budget execution. The meeting featured testimony from department directors, public speakers, and councilmembers, with several items passing after amendments and debate.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Resolution 25-331 (Hazard Pay Transfer): Donald Sakamoto, a public transit advocate, testified in support, emphasizing the importance of hazard pay for bus and handi-van operators who faced COVID-19 risks.
- Bill 54 (Public Transit Fares): Multiple speakers testified:
- Donald Sakamoto (support with concerns) urged gradual fare increases and improved payment technology.
- Samantha Lara (oppose) argued that fare increases burden low-income families and undermine climate and safety goals.
- Jolie Tokusato (Unite Here Local 5) opposed the increase, stating it hurts working families and urged the city to seek revenue from corporations instead.
- Jarek Olivia (hotel worker) opposed, calling the increase unaffordable for commuters.
- Angela Melody Young (CARES) supported the fare increase but requested additional assistance for extremely low-income individuals.
- Bill 63 (Property Taxation): Suzanne Young (Honolulu Board of Realtors) opposed key provisions, stating they would not incentivize participation, and recommended changes to AMI thresholds, dedication periods, and rollback penalties.
- Bill 76 (Government Transparency): Jolie Tokusato and Angela Melody Young testified in support, praising enhanced transparency.
- Bill 77 (Budget Execution): Angela Melody Young testified in support, noting technology can improve coordination and reduce errors.
Discussion Items
- Resolution 25-237: Deputy Director Jennifer Walter (DEM) explained the transfer to fund planner positions for federally supported programs. No questions or testimony. Approved.
- Resolution 25-331: Director Andy Kawano (BFS) described the recharacterization of $34.4 million for hazard pay to remaining unions (firefighters, bus drivers). Councilmembers discussed union status and prior appropriations. Approved.
- Resolution 26-5: Director Kawano detailed the allocation of $15.1 million for salary adjustments and vacation payouts. Councilmember DeSantos Tam questioned the patrol division’s $12.85 million, noting discrepancies with the 5% raise. Councilmember Waters requested future detail in transmittal letters. Amended to CD1 and approved.
- Bill 54 (CD1): Director Roger Morton (DTS) presented the fare increase bill, which raises adult monthly passes, cash fares, and handi-van fares, but not senior/disabled/low-income fares. Councilmember DeSantos Tam opposed, citing Title VI analysis showing disparate impact on low-income riders. Chair Okimoto and Vice Chair Nishimoto supported the compromise. Amended to CD2 and approved.
- Bill 55 (CD1): Director Kawano and Director Kevin Ajay (Housing) supported the bill, with BFS requesting fees be deposited into the general fund. No public testimony. Amended to CD2 (with further amendment on deposits) and approved.
- Bill 63 (CD1): Introducer Councilmember Kia Aina explained the bill updates the property dedication program to 100% AMI for five-year rentals. The Honolulu Board of Realtors recommended higher AMI, shorter dedication, and owner-occupant exemptions. BFS opposed those changes. After discussion, the CD1 was reported out without amendment.
- Bill 76: Introducer Council Chair Waters described the bill requiring an open checkbook data portal by January 2027. Director Kawano and Chief Data Officer Kira Chokum expressed willingness to collaborate but opposed codification, suggesting a joint project. Councilmembers agreed to keep the bill alive for further discussion. Reported out for second reading.
- Bill 77: Introducers Councilmember Nishimoto and DeSantos Tam argued the bill gives the council tools to fulfill its budget oversight role. Director Kawano opposed, citing separation of powers and confidentiality concerns. Chief Data Officer Chokum suggested a data mart approach. Councilmember Nishimoto expressed willingness to work with BFS. Reported out for second reading with reservations from Councilmember Kia Aina.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 25-237: Approved unanimously.
- Resolution 25-331: Approved unanimously.
- Resolution 26-5: Amended to CD1 (OCS 2026-0013) and approved.
- Bill 54 (2025): Amended to CD2 (OCS 2025-0954) and approved for passage on third reading.
- Bill 55 (2025): Amended to CD2 (OCS 2025-0941) with a further amendment to Section 5 (removing special account reference) and approved for passage on third reading.
- Bill 63 (2025): CD1 reported out for passage on third reading without amendment.
- Bill 76 (2025): Reported out for second reading and scheduling of a public hearing.
- Bill 77 (2025): Reported out for second reading and scheduling of a public hearing, with Councilmember Kia Aina’s reservations noted.
Meeting Transcript
Aloha and good morning, everyone. It is Tuesday, January thirteen, twenty twenty-six, and the time is nine fifteen AM with will the committee on budget please come to order. We have committee vice chair Nishimoto, Councilmember Kia Inna, and we like to also welcome Council Member Dosantos Tam. Although remote oral testimony is being permitted, this is a regular in-person meeting and not a remote meeting by interactive conference technology. Under HRS section 92 3.7. Therefore, the meeting will continue notwithstanding loss of audio visual communication with remote testifiers or loss of the public broadcast of the meeting. Members of the public will be allowed to provide oral testimony on all items on the agenda in two ways in person in the council chamber and remotely via video conference or phone. Remote and in-person oral testimony will be allowed when each agenda item is taken up. Before testifying, each person shall state their name. Each speaker may not have anyone else read their statement and is limited to a one-minute presentation on each item. As both English and Hawaiian are official languages of the state of Hawaii, pursuant to Article 15, Section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution and Section 1 13 of the Hawai'i revised statutes. Members of the public may testify in either language. For oral testimonies offered in Ola Hawai'i, additional time as may be necessary will be allowed for the testifier to provide an English translation of their testimony. All persons who have registered to testify in person will be called upon first. When your name is called, please come up to the testifier podium. Persons who have not registered will be given an opportunity to testify following the registered testifiers. After in-person testimony has concluded, I will proceed to remote testimony via video conference or phone. When I call your name, please monitor your screen and follow the prompt to unmute. For those who are joining us by telephone only, please press star nine if you wish to testify, and I will identify you by the last three digits of your phone number. When your number is called, please listen for the prompt to unmute and press star six. Some friendly reminders and tips. Video conference from a quiet location if possible. If you're also watching the proceedings on OLELO, please mute your television at the time you are called to testify. When the timer on the screen reaches zero, please conclude your remarks promptly. Written testimonies, including the testifiers' address, email address, and phone number will be available to the public as described on the posted agenda. And as a courtesy, please turn off or silence all cell phones for the duration of this meeting. Moving to agenda item number one for action, resolution 25-237. This resolution authorizes a transfer not to exceed 321, 321,684 in general fund monies from the provision for federally funded program contingencies activity, current expenses CE, character of expenditure, COE, to the Department of Emergency Management, DEM, Emergency Management Coordination Activity Salary COE to provide DEM with the resources required to fill and sustain planner positions, ensuring that DEM can effectively manage and implement federally supported programs. I have here that with us we have Dr. Randall A. Collins, the CEM director from the Department of Emergency Management. I see that that's not the case. Thank you so much for being here, Deputy Director. If you could just say your name for the record. Good morning, committee chair and committee members. My name is Jennifer Walter. I'm the deputy director at the Department of Emergency Management. The purpose of this resolution is to ensure that we have access to funding. We rely on a grant that we receive every year to fund several positions at the Department of Emergency Management. And the federal government has given us indication that this grant on the period of performance isn't changing. So usually when one grant year ends, um, the same grant begins again, and we can continue funding those positions with the same grant. They are adjusting the dates of the grant so that the next year's funding that would normally give us the money to fund these positions is ending at the same time as the current year. So this allows us to continue funding those positions with the fund that um BFS is set up for this purpose. Thank you, Deputy Director. Members, do we have any questions for Deputy Director? Okay. Okay, seeing none. We'll now proceed with in-person oral testimony in the council chamber. Clerks, do we have any in-person testifiers for this item? Chair, there are none.
openpublica.com