Chair’s 3 Minutes Published in The Maui News, Feb. 19, 2017 By Mike White On Tuesday, the state House Committee on Tourism advanced House Bill 1586, which phases out the counties’ share of the transient accommodations tax, also known as the TAT or hotel tax. County officials were present and expressed strong opposition to the […]
Published in The Maui News, January 10, 2016 By MIKE WHITE, for The Maui News The state Legislature last year granted county governments the power to impose a half-percent surcharge on the general excise tax. Mayor Alan Arakawa has submitted a bill to the Maui County Council for the purpose of using this taxing authority, […]
Published in The Maui News, January 3, 2016 By MIKE WHITE, for The Maui News The Maui County Council this week will consider several bills to improve Maui County’s physical infrastructure and, consequently, promote economic development. Bills 89 and 90 (2015) would approve more than $3 million in funding for the Central Maui sewer system […]
Published in The Maui News, December 13, 2015 By MIKE WHITE, for The Maui News Council members from all four Hawaii counties convened at Honolulu City Hall last week, under the auspices of the Hawaii State Association of Counties, to strategize for the state legislative session that begins next month. HSAC’s message for the 2016 […]
Published in The Maui News, May 17, 2015 By Mike White, for The Maui News Prior to the state Legislature adjourning nearly two weeks ago, both the House and Senate passed House Bill 134, a measure that allows counties to enact or extend a general excise tax surcharge for transportation-related costs. The measure, heavily sought […]
Last week, I submitted several pieces of testimony to the state legislature on bills relating to the counties’ share of revenue from the transient accommodations tax, or TAT. In 2011, the counties’ share of the TAT was capped as a temporary measure to assist the state with a budget shortfall because of a 9.8 percent […]
Published in The Maui News, Nov. 2, 2014 By GLADYS C. BAISA , for The Maui News On Friday, the County Council will consider approving two state bills for inclusion in the 2015 Maui County Legislative Package, as recommended by the Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. The first bill would authorize expanded industrial hemp research […]
HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Hawaii State Association of Counties held a meeting of the general membership yesterday to continue discussion on the 2014 HSAC Legislative Package. Hawaii mayors and/or their representative, and council members from the four counties attended the meeting at Honolulu Hale. The mayors and council members discussed their legislative priorities and strategies […]