Those seeking re-election vow to keep paying bands
by Jason Armstrong
Stephens Media
Thursday, March 11, 2010 6:51 AM HST
HILO -- Hawaii County's two bands will play on, according to County Council members working to preserve the $347,027 budget Mayor Billy Kenoi has proposed eliminating.Stephens Media
Thursday, March 11, 2010 6:51 AM HST
Kenoi announced March 1 that there's no money in the $375.4 million spending package to pay the Hilo-based Hawaii County Band or the West Hawaii Band.
The threat of ending the 127-year-old musical tradition has triggered a public outcry from band supporters, including mainland residents, who have launched a lobbying effort that includes an online petition drive.
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"I will be introducing an amendment to restore the funding of the band," said council Chairman J Yoshimoto, of Hilo.
Noting he must wait until after Kenoi submits his revised budget request May 5, Yoshimoto said he will propose taking money from another county program.
No jobs will be lost, he said.
That's not the case with Kenoi's proposal, however, which would cut all 34 East Hawaii and 11 West Hawaii band positions.
"I'm looking at three possible ways of trying to keep the band in place," said Hilo Councilman Dennis Onishi, chairman of the council's Finance Committee. "I think at the end (of the budget process) we should be able to preserve the band."
One option would be cutting 15 vacant musical positions in hopes of trimming the bands' combined budgets to $300,000 a year, he said.
The county currently allocates $344,036 for the Hawaii County Band and $37,566 for the West Hawaii Band. That $381,602 total cost would drop next fiscal year to $327,027 because of worker furloughs that start July 1, according to Kenoi's budget proposal.
Another option would be to boost the $12.7 million Kenoi expects won't be spent in the coming fiscal year.
"That would be the last resort," Onishi said of inflating the projected fund balance.
Onishi did not disclose his third option.
Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann suggested Kenoi's predicted fund balance is conservative and his proposed spending package has "flexibility" to pay for the bands.
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