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HomeMy WebLinkAboutChair's Comments FY2013-2014 DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET REVIEWS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FY 2013-2014 Departmental Budget Reviews MINUTES The FY 2013-2014 Departmental Budget Reviews of the Committee of the Whole of the Council of the County of Kaua`i, was called to order by Jay Furfaro, Chair, at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Lihu'e, Kaua`i, on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 9:09 a.m. after which the followin g members answered the call of the roll: Honorable Tim Bynum (not present at 1:30 p.m. and gone for the remainder of the day) Honorable Gary L. Hooser Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable Nadine Nakamura Honorable Mel Rapozo Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura Honorable Jay Furfaro, Council Chair Chair Furfaro: Aloha and good morning. I would like to take a moment to call to order the departmental meetings and the budget reviews for the County of Kaua`i. There is a calendar date of reviews that has been distributed far enough in the advanced, that everybody should be attentive to the various departments that are going to come in and have a review. I would like to hopefully talk about the theme of this budget meeting as "Ke Ala Wa`a, the way of the canoe." We need to make sure we follow the wa a where we are to the point that we are understanding when we are in rhythm, the canoe does not jerk like a caterpillar. It goes fast, timely, accurate, and to the target. Our target is to complete a budget within the guidelines of the calendar and find ourselves having an opportunity to have a little bit of a pd ina at the end; a celebration, because it is going to be a difficult budget in what is in "difficult times." Yesterday, we heard from the lobbyists, and I want to make certain that I clear something up for everyone. I was disturbed that the procurement did not occur earlier for their contract services, but I have since discovered that the error was on their part, and they were not outlined appropriately, nor did they have the appropriate certifications. I would like to say in Wai`anae, when you play football, it may be a little different than Kapa`a, Mayor, but you lay the whole piece out and take no shame in telling the truth and the truth of the matter is the delay was the lobbyists' fault, not the Administration. If you want additional details, I would be glad to share it with you. I would like to go over a few other points for the Councilmembers in the process this morning. We have our tally sheets for questions that you might want to add for the end of each day presented to you, and please, that it will be the official record of sending communications over. The responsibility of filling out those sheets is certainly yours, and that is the best way for us to follow-up on any questions. Our budget format has changed a little bit e b t for those of you who are relatively new to the Council. I will make a presentation Y Y p this morning on what we digested from the original budget that was sent over, not to take any positions on anything, but to draw attention to some of the points that we need to really focus on during the actual budget process. Afterwards, we will have an opportunity to hear from the Mayor and his Staff. I would like to ask you folks, because I have negotiated several new points with the Administration, that when they come up to make their presentation, I would like to go through the entire presentation by the Mayor, then Ernie, and then Steve Hunt, the Finance Director; and then the three (3) gentlemen will remain available to us for questions and answers. I do not want to go through questions and answers and break up the presentations. Let them have an opportunity at the end. March 28, 2013 Chair's Budget Comments (cy) 2 The Mayor has assured me that all three (3) of them will be available for questions and answers at the end. Like in the past, Mr. Rapozo, I will turn the meeting over to you during the period of time that I will make the Overview Presentation, which is now, because you are the Vice Chair of the Committee of the Whole. Let me get my ukana together, and then I will be right there. Mr. Rapozo: Mr. Kagawa is requesting some time for personal privilege. Go ahead. Mr. Kagawa: I just wanted to take this moment to recognize some of our residents for being very gracious on the roads. This morning, they had the yellow light by the Wailua House Lots road, and I noticed that the drivers were very courteous, so I just want to thank all of the people, when those things happen for being very friendly out there. Mahalo. Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, Mr. Kagawa. I must have been at a different intersection, because the one I was at, I think they thought the yellow light meant to speed up. (Laughter). Anyway, Mr. Chair. Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Rapozo. Here are talking points and discussion points from the first evaluation of the budget that has been submitted to us, and an opportunity to extract some commentary for you folks. The Mayor's group, as well as in liaison with the Council, have provided some pretty — I am not going to read this whole narrative; but have provided some pretty clear instructions to the various Department Heads about the budget process. These are normally referred to as "Budget Assumptions" that each department has made of their operating areas. The Administration is presenting what they are referring to as an "Essential Services Budget" due to what at all levels, State and the Federal sequester, as an absolute-need service delivery. It is also relatively new. I have asked through my correspondence with the Mayor and his team, that they will this year be presented to us "Actuals versus Actuals," especially in a sense that many of the expenses have been exceeding financial incomes for those specific fund areas. It is certain in private practice, a way to look at putting together and budget, and a budget only being a forecast. You will look in your books and you will see a three (3) year trend reflecting actuals. I want to thank them for agreeing with the need to do that. It is a new first step, but it certainly provides good information for you folks. The Administration also has a proposal which reflects dollar funding positions and one of the ways that they have also reduced expenses is that they focused on travel and overtime. As we get into some of our new programs, the whole intent of those programs, Curbside, and some of the new equipment we have was the intention of reducing operating expenses. That will be in the programs as well. I want to say that I stress that the Council wants to make sure that when we get back to the table on May 8th for the supplemental budget communications, which it not be drastically different from the proposals that have been submitted to us. I think the Administration has worked very hard in prepping for this budget series. Scott, I think I am ready for the next page. I think it is an ongoing, constantly making improvements approach to refining the way we have done budgets in the past. On the next page, we have modified the schedule so that the big ticket items, whether it is Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) or the bigger operating departments, are going to be discussed earlier in the presentation of the budget, leaving us enough time to follow-up on some of the questions, and hopefully this will improve our ability within the whole budget cycle to get questions answered and turned March 28, 2013 Chair's Budget Comments (cy) 3 around. I hope we can minimize follow-up questions. Before we get into the final session, I have asked that we meet as Councilmembers with the Staff on all the prior discussions during the budget cycle, so that we can organize our discussion and when we are making counter proposals. Next slide. JoAnn, you wanted to ask me a question? Ms. Yukimura: Yes, you read my mind. Thank you. On the meeting with Councilmembers meeting with Staff, this is a one-on-one, right? Each Councilmember meeting with Staff? Chair Furfaro: Yes. Ms.Yukimura: Okay. Chair Furfaro: I am sorry if I did not make that clear. Ms. Yukimura: I think I knew what you meant, but I wanted to make it clear for the public. Chair Furfaro: I am sorry. Sometimes I talk with the Wai`anae accent. In our Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Budget Assumptions, you will see a graph that has been laid out there. It is also very important to point out that payroll, taxes, and employee benefits comprise of approximately sixty percent (60%) of our Operating Budget. Increases are expected in contributions to the Employee Union Trust Fund (EUTF) and the Employee Retirement System (ERS). These increases are absolutely not clear at this point, but it should be something that we know stays firmly on the radar screen. The actuarial and other benefit costs for each department — the timing has always been a problem and has been a problem in the past. Last year, we started the budget at thirty-one percent (31%) before hearing on those costs, and we settled at twenty-four percent (24%). The fact of the matter is going forward, is that they are going to use the twenty-four percent (24%) budgeted in each department for the Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) for the budget at this point. "Budgeting employee benefits in each department leads to greater accountability" has been our message to the individual Department Heads to make sure that they are more completely involved with the costs, as it relates to their supervision of a department. Next slide. I should point out that for on-going union labor negotiations for Collective Bargaining Units; Police, Fire, United Public Workers (UPW), and Hawai`i Government Employees Association (HGEA) are not reflected in this budget, nor in calling around, are they reflected in any of the other County's budgets. I am just making an inquiry. Another cost directly related to that is the fact that the negotiated items that came with the teachers' union; they reverted back to a 60/40 allocation on budget expenses for benefits like medical premium costs and so forth. I think we should anticipate the same happening. The good news here and I will get to some graphs later; the utility rates and kilowatt usage in the County were seeing some success in the Administration's Green Task Force, and I will lay out the kilowatt hours used for each year on a five (5) year review, and you will see that although the rates have gone up, the consumption of utility kilowatt hours has not. It has been pretty constant, so there should be some encouragement there, as well as their plans asking for some forecast in improved kilowatt hours. There is some good news there. For other fixed expenses, I mentioned already with the actuarial not being due to the later part of the year — almost mid-year. We are leaving it at twenty-four percent (24%) at this point in time. The activity at the State Legislature after yesterday's presentation by the contracted lobbyists, we still have concerns with the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT), March 28, 2013 Chair's Budget Comments (cy) 4 as well as what I had pointed out, the four point three million dollars ($4,300,000.00) and the three point two million dollars ($3,200,000.00), dealing with the franchise taxes and utility costs. That is a substantial amount of our budget. It is almost nineteen point two million dollars ($19,200,000.00) that we do not have a clear understanding of where the Legislature is as of March 28th. It is no clearer than it was at the start of the Legislative Session. Next page. There are certain budget assumptions that have been made by department agencies that I spoke earlier about, but we need to stress, and I am going to personally ask the Mayor for some assistance. It has been very difficult to get an understanding of our position because of the lag of certain reports. The building report, which I will share on the next slide, as well as the timely budgeting; we are entitled to a Quarterly Treasury Report and timely financial reports within sixty (60) days of the close of each month, and there is a need for great improvement there. I am hopeful that our new Human Resources (HR) Department will be able to be more consistent in a format that is electronic to identify positions and vacancies in a more timely fashion. The last point in this section here — I shared with Steve Hunt, a "Snap Shot" review of the current financials that have been reported to us up to a period of six (6) months, shows that we are about two point four million dollars ($2,400,000.00) ahead in fees, taxes, and collections; and about four point six million dollars ($4,600,000.00) better in controlling expenses. For six(6) months, you might say that the County of Kaua`i is six point eight million dollars ($6,800,000.00) better in a financial picture than it has been presented, but again, when we get those reports more timely, we can use this as a comparison. Let us go to the next slide. Here are some samples of data that I wanted to share with you folks. This is the value from the Building Department on what I referred to yesterday, which is a sample of like a booking ticket. As we issue permits, they have a value. That is the one hundred thirty-three million one hundred eighty-four thousand eight hundred ninety-two dollars ($133,184,892.00) that you see on the far left side. If we take approximately fifty percent (50%) of that value, and we apply it as a taxable income for the year going forward, it will generate at four dollars and fifty-two cents ($4.52), which was the old blended average of the tax rates. It will generate another three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00) in the year, for the year. That is assuming that we do issue permits that we would hope at least fifty percent (50%) of those people begin construction of the permits that have been issued, or looking at it this way; is the cup half-empty, half of those individuals have not or will not start their project in the year, for the year. That is another way to measure revenue, and this Building Report is used by the Council in this fashion. The next one is a small chart. You all have it in your books. This is showing the new format of comparing "Actuals versus Actuals," each expenditure period, and then matching it up against what has been forecasted for the current year. The next section on "Real Property Tax Revenues and Other Fees," there is a section over here that deals with Fuel Tax, Vehicle Registration Fees, and Weight Tax. I want to thank Steve Hunt in answering my questions, but they did not get in the presentation this morning. I will be circulating the Department of Finance's response to me on these three (3) questions. It is giving you an idea of how we compare with others. The proposal that is in the budget for Kaua`i shows a Passenger Weight Tax that is equal to other Counties, but still less than the County of Hawai`i, Hawaii island. The Freight Tax shows us increasing, but still at par with both Maui and the City and County of Honolulu. On the County Registration Fees, we are proposing — the Mayor is proposing seventeen dollars ($17.00), which makes us equal to the big island, fifty cents (50¢) under from Maui, and three dollars March 28, 2013 Chair's Budget Comments (cy) 5 ($3.00) less than the City and County of Honolulu. The Fuel Tax is as proposed in the Mayor's Budget, at fifteen cents (15¢), and it compares equally or less than City and County of Honolulu and the County of Maui, but it is more than Hawai`i island. I will distribute this memorandum today to all of you so that you can see this particular section. Next slide. There is some concern on certain essential funds as we look at "Enterprise Funds and other strategic planning." For example, we do not know how the Federal cuts sequestered will actually affect funding that we currently get for a number of positions in the County. The one that probably has the most exposure at this point is probably Housing. We also have concerns dealing with the Sewer Fund, and then of course, the one that we need to track with a real strategic plan is the Golf Fund. It lacks a marketing plan, and that should be an interesting discussion when we get to Parks. For Capital Improvement Projects, the Mayor has made his position very clear tows that he wants to move on projects that are shovel ready, and that is where his initiative will be. That certainly accounts for some of the shifting of the funds within the CIP work page. I want to give compliments to Keith, the new gentleman who is in the CIP financial world. I have met with him separately, and I have great confidence that the reporting and managing of those projects will constantly improve. So far, that has been proven to me in his presentations. I know there has been a lot of discussion about the Reserve Fund or the General Fund Balances. There is a discrepancy here between myself and the Administration – a small one. I am still trying to reconcile the three point eight million dollars ($3,800,000.00) that we had put in as the minimum amount for the CIP, and it looks like this budget process shows us more of a Reserve of about two point five million dollars ($2,500,000.00). I have to remember my number is the current number, and their number is a futuristic number that starts July 1st. This will also continue to be a discussion point. The next slide deals with a Trend Analysis, and again, I want to make sure you understand the fact that what I am looking here is at a Trend Analysis for Revenues from taxing. It is based on three (3) programs that we initiated; affordable rental, where the property owner has reduced and complied to suggested rental rates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office. Number two, the circuit breaker, and of course the circuit breaker being that based on net income; and three is the two percent (2%) cap on permanent home owners. I would like to share with you that the one line goes back to 2008, and we gave fourteen million dollars ($14,000,000.00) when the two percent (2%) tax relief was there. This is for owner occupied units. In'the attempt, I think as we all knew at that time was the fact that the control on home owner occupied units; there was something that needed to be done. You can see in the following years, the money has certainly continued to pile up to the point, as the bottom line says, that the County actually in a five (5) year period has reduced—and here is the key, "potential home owner property tax," and has reduced it by forty-nine point one million dollars ($49,100,000.00), and it is based on those three(3) Bills. They were very clearly needed at that time. The question in our budget session going forward is, "How do we go forward with the property values dropping?" I am sure that will be part of the fiscal discussion about property taxes. Next slide, please. Here is the Trend Analysis, and I know you folks realize that I like to compare things in a Trend Analysis. For example, on the County's Debt Service, as we borrowed moneys for certain improvements over the last five (5) years, our Debt Service in 2008 was seven million twenty-six thousand six hundred five dollars ($7,026,605.00). As you look all the way out to the far right, the Debt Service in 2012 is now ten million three hundred eighty-three thousand four hundred dollars ($10,383,400.00). We have had an increase in our Debt Service payable in the year, for the year, of approximately three point three million dollars ($3,300,000.00). The retirement liability contributions that are also shown there, starting with OPEB Hawaii Employee-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF), March 28, 2013 Chair's Budget Comments (cy) 6 and the Pension Employee Retirement System (ERS), as you go all the way to the far right, you will see the increase has been seven million nine hundred thirty thousand dollars ($7,930,000.00). I am sure there will be a number of options here for us to look at. The County of Maui is one hundred percent (100%) contributed to their liability, but they put the money in an escrow account. We have found ourselves in a situation where we are contributing our whole exposure, one hundred percent (100%) of our exposure, but when we write to get confirmation that money is for Kaua`i's people who come through the system, we still do not get a clear answer from the fund. Honolulu is only about sixty-eight percent (68%) exposed for coverage, and they are running about twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00) a year short of funding their liability. It is substantial, and if you have been following the editorials in the newspaper, it will be a big discussion item here. Perhaps we need to think through with Steve and the Mayor for a different approach to make sure we are protecting our employees. I will ask Ricky to recirculate the responses we did get from the State on those two (2) accounts. We are at a disadvantage if you note the bottom of the page. We have one (1) of the nine (9) votes to negotiate these changes; four (4) is with the Governor, one (1) is with the State hospital system, and one (1) with each County Mayor. We are at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiating any change. Next slide. For Transportation, we had some discussion last night, but I would again let et ou g g you that I want to thank the fact that we are going to have continued discussion on this. For the Transportation Department and the expansion we have had since 2008 to 2012, the Bus has increased its service, including holidays, evenings, weekends, and so forth. That cost to us, as we voted on it, was two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) more than just since 2008. Another point is the Transportation Agency has expanded from fifty-two (52) to seventy-eight (78) employees since 2009. I want to make sure their actual attendance is one hundred and two (102) employees. The difference between the seventy-eight and one hundred and two (102)—because we measure in full-time equivalent, there is a number of part-time drivers that are there. The real count of actual "heads" is one hundred and two (102), but the full-time equivalent is more like seventy-eight (78). The next chart in that same page is the utility and electrical use. Our utilities really spiked with the fuel adjustments back in 2008, and today in 2012, they are at eight million five hundred fifty- three thousand eight hundred seventy-three dollars ($8,553,873.00), but compliments to the Administration, because a lot of this is also dealing with the fact that we have had a number of power projects that have been able to generate other energy that will not necessarily show up in the utility costs as it relates to the oil improvements. I also want to point out that in 2008, we have nineteen million nine hundred twenty-one thousand seven hundred forty-seven (19,921,947) kilowatt hours used by the County, and here we are actually in the year 2012 with more facilities. When I say more facilities, let us include some of the improvements that we made like Kaiakea Fire Station and so forth. The actual kilowatt usage is two hundred thousand (200,000) kilowatts less than five (5) years ago. That has certainly helped us manage our consumption, but the County's cost of electricity depends on a big part, but the fuel and oils have adversely impacted with outcomes in the Middle East, including Libya, Iran, and Israel. I would like to say that I believe the County's energy team has done an exceptional job in putting at least a growth of utility costs in check. The next one is one that I would that we take interest in as we go into the various Departments. The staff payroll in 2008 was one thousand one hundred thirty-nine (1,139) employees. It is currently reflected at one thousand two hundred seventy-nine (1,279) with an increase of about one hundred forty (140) full-time and part-time employees. Where did that growth happen? In general Government, we have a more efficient Boards and March 28, 2013 Chair's Budget Comments (cy) 7 Commissions group that was almost like a whole new Department. Police has doubled recruiting now. For the Fire Department, we have a new fire station, folks. That is required to be staffed appropriately. For Transportation, the Bus has a growth of twenty- six (26) employees, and scattered in there for other positions, there was twenty-three (23) positions that grew during that period from 2008 to 2012. Included in there are two (2) additional positions for the Council as we expanded Secretarial Assistants. Next slide. I just want to reconfirm that the Council's procedures as it deals with going through the budget here; the proposals for any additions to the budget should be accompanied by a proposal of where the funds will be coming from. Feel free to query that, especially if it deals with increases in bus fares or anything else like "money found." I am sorry to use the word "found," but that is going to be applied by a grant. To reduce items in the March 15th budget, we need four (4) votes,which is a simple majority of the Council. If we are going to increase or add items to the March 15th budget, it is not required—and I know I got into a little bit of a discussion with JoAnn last year, but it is recommended that we get five (5) votes affirmative, because it would take five (5) votes to override a veto, should it come to that from the Mayor. I really hope that when we are talking about Ke Ala Wa`a, the way of the canoe, it is very important that we work with the Administration to really solve and mutually agree on what will be the answers for a very tough budget period. I am just sharing that with you, and I will send over to you this correspondence that I got from g Y Y p g Mr. Hunt today to the three (3) items that were blank on my report. I also will communicate to you a spreadsheet that I have which shows where I think we have six point eight million dollars ($6,800,000.00) of under-spent money in the year, for the year. I will circulate that to you before the end of the day, or certainly by the end of the day. That is my opening evaluation of the budget, and I think we can get into more details as we go through the sections. Mel, if you do not mind, I would like to turn it over to the Mayor and his group at this time. Mr. Rapozo: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Does anyone have any questions for the Chair before I move on? I understand, Mr. Chair, and maybe the Clerk can help, but we have the Mayor posted at 10:00 a.m. Can we start before then? We can? Okay. Councilmember Nakamura has a question. Ms. Nakamura: Thank you for the presentation, Chair. I wanted to just follow-up with your comments regarding the retirement liability. Can you kind of go over what the other Counties are doing again? I think they have concerns about parking our funds in the State system and making sure that we have those funds there when we need them. Chair Furfaro: That is an excellent question, and from what I can tell, both the City and County of Honolulu and Hawaii island are not setting aside the total amount to cover their liability. I think the model we might want to look at is the Maui model. They have actually set-up a separate escrow account for a deposit for these things so that they can be assured of having a deposit at the right time when they start to draw their portion from the fund. Ms. Nakamura: Do they get interest while it is parked in that account? Chair Furfaro: Yes. Obviously, it is earning interest, but I am not clear after finding that out about exactly how they interface with the State fund. It is March 28, 2013 Chair's Budget Comments (cy) 8 only Maui and Kaua`i that is paid in one hundred percent (100%) of their liability, where as Hawai`i island and the City and County of Honolulu have not, as well as the State. Ms. Nakamura: Thank you. Mr. Rapozo: Any other questions? Mr. Bynum. Mr. Bynum: I want to thank you for a really thoughtful budget presentation, and I appreciate the Trend Analysis. I know you and I think that way. To see it laid out here is very helpful. Later, I have a couple of questions, but all overall, all of this was very helpful. Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Yes. Again, I want to revisit my comment last night with you folks when I said we were all part of this growth. We saw the need for Transportation, we acted. We saw the need for the Fire Department having new facilities, we acted. It was something we all had to take a little responsibility for and yet, we have to measure it on the value. What does it actually provide for our citizens in the way of safety, of being able to get through an economic crunch, and get to school? Those are decisions we made at the time as a body, and we all have to share on that. Mr. Bynum: Chair, I appreciate that we have a full day to discuss revenues because in my mind, the Mayor has done a good job of managing the budget in the time he has been Mayor. It is the revenue management where we all need to focus more, and you are giving us more time. Thank you very much. Chair Furfaro: Okay. Mr. Rapozo: Councilmember Yukimura. Ms. Yukimura: I am going to echo Councilmember Bynum's comments about your presentation. Thank you, Chair. I also want to just take off from what you said last night when we were talking about "return on investment." Those values that you talked about, enabling our people to go to work more affordably or to get their kids to school, or afterschool programs; that is the return on investment that I am talking about, and I think that is what you are referring to also. The fact that we will reduce our fossil fuel dependency as well, if we go to a more multimodal transportation system; those are all to me, return on investment and preparing for the future too. Chair Furfaro: Yes. Clearly, measuring aloha as a value—you cannot go to a page in an accounting book and say, "Okay, what is the tangible? What does the balance sheet look like?" You cannot balance the value that we are able to provide and just getting through some tough times together. It is hard to measure aloha. Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. Mr. Rapozo: Any other questions? If not, thank you very much, Mr. Chair.