On May 1, 2026, the Honolulu City Council's Committee on Budget, chaired by Councilmember Okimoto, convened at 10:40 AM to review the proposed FY27 operating budget (Bill 22, CD2). The meeting began with opening remarks from the chair emphasizing transparency, accountability, and intentional budgeting, followed by testimony from the administration and the public. The committee then conducted a line-by-line review of departmental budget amendments, hearing from department directors and accepting numerous amendments. The meeting recessed at 12:50 PM to reconvene at 1:30 PM.
Very good. Aloha, good morning and a happy lay day, everyone. It is Friday, May first, twenty twenty-six, and the time is ten forty AM. Well, the committee on budget please come to order. Council members Cordero, Kia Aina, Talbot, and Council Chair Waters also joining us. And welcome today, Council members Dosantos Tam and Tupala. 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 audiovisual communication with remote testifiers or loss of the public broadcast of the meeting. Members of the public are 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 Hawai'i, pursuant to Article 15, Section 4 of the Hawai'i 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 Olalo 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 9 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 9. Some friendly reminders and tips. Video conference from a quiet location if possible. If you are also watching the proceedings on OLEDO, please mute your television at the time you are called to testify. When the timer on 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. As a courtesy, please turn off or silence all cell phones for the duration of this meeting. Members, I planned to break for lunch today. The start time and duration will be dependent on the following on the flow of the meeting. Before we move on to agenda item number one, I just want to take a quick brief moment. Oh, sorry, I would like to also welcome to the chamber, Councilmember Wire. But I would just like to take a quick moment to thank my staff, my colleagues, all of you sitting here with us today, the Office of Council Services, the City Clerk's Office, and the Council Support Services Office for their hard work preparing for this important hearing. The proposed budget is about delivering services to the people of Oahu in an economic environment where revenues are flat, but costs are expected to grow exponentially. The proposed budget before you is about building a more transparent, accountable, and intentional city government. Mayor Blanji already submitted his proposed budget to the council back in March, and the committee respects the work that went into that proposal. However, this committee and the council has an independent responsibility to review, question, adjust, and make improvements to the budget before it is passed. Council oversight is not an obstruction, it is oversight, and the role Oahu residents expect this council to perform. For years, the city budget has lapsed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, money that was budgeted but not always spent. Positions that were funded but not always filled. Projects that were listed but not always delivered on time. As the budget committee chair, my team look for a more direct, disciplined, and accountable path. Our goal is simple. Protect services, protect civil service jobs, and protect the public's trust. We are focused on maintaining the core city services while keeping Honolulu financially strong, which includes protecting our high bond rating. The budget amendments will be discussed that will be discussed today do not weaken city services, but they pose a harder and honest question. Are taxpayer dollars being responsibly used in a way that delivers achievable results? If money is set aside year after year but not spent, taxpayers deserve to know why. If positions are funded year after year but remain vacant, taxpayers deserve to know if those dollars could be better aligned with core city services. If projects are listed but delayed, taxpayers deserve clearer timelines, stronger planning, and better follow through. Every dollar must have a purpose, and every project must have a plan.