The county is hosting multiple community meetings over the next month on the possible half cent general excise tax increase the Hawaii County Council is considering.
The meetings begin Monday in Captain Cook.
The hike, if implemented, could raise around $25 million to $40 million for the county.
• Monday, 6:30 p.m. at Yano Hall, 82-6156 Mamalahoa Hwy, Captain Cook with Maile David
• Tuesday, 6 p.m. at WHCC – Building A – Council Chambers, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway in Kailua-Kona with Karen Eoff, Dru Kanuha
• Tuesday, 6 p.m., Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi St., Hilo with Sue LeeLoy, Aaron Chung
• Thursday. 6 p.m. at Naalehu Community Center, 95-5635 Mamalahoa Highway in Naalehu with Maile David
• Friday, 6 p.m. Volcano Cooper Center, 19-4030 Wright Road, Volcano with Maile David
• Saturday, 11 a.m. Kohala Intergenerational Center (behind Hisaoka Gym), 54-3853 Akoni Pule Highway, Kapaau with Tim Richards
• Feb. 18, 2 p.m. Kulaimano Community Center, 28-2892 Alia Street, Pepeekeo with Val Poindexter
• Feb. 19, 11 a.m. Waikoloa Middle School Cafeteria, 68-1730 Hooko Street, Waikoloa with Tim Richards
• Feb. 19, 6 p.m. Pahoa Community Center (Puna), 15-3022 Kauhale Street, Pahoa with Eileen O’Hara, Jen Ruggles
• March 4, 2 p.m., NHERC North Hawaii Education and Research Center, 45-539 Plumeria Street, Honokaa with Val Poindexter
• March 12, 6 p.m., Waimea Elementary School Cafeteria, 67-1225 Hawaii Belt Road, Kamuela with Tim Richards
This would be the time and place if you have something to say about the tax increase.Let your council members know what you think, then see how they vote !
They have already raised property taxes 10% and gas tax 100% and given themselves huge raises. This 12.5% increase in GET is just going to happen and there will be more because frankly there will never be enough of other peoples money for these so called representatives of the people. The best response is to vote the clowns out, the only problem is that more than 50% of Hawaii county residents are receiving government benefits.
The GE tax ,if approved, would go from 4.16 to 4.66 .
In that case my math is a little off it is only a 12% increase in the tax. Of course this is nothing compared to the 20-30% raises that the Mayor and department heads just received. Who the heck gets a 30% raise!?
The way the vote will come down is that it will just barely pass like the gas tax and the property tax did. Example Kanuaha voted for the gas tax increase and against the property tax increase, they just trade votes so they all don’t look like they are taking it to the public at once.
This is getting to be like third world countries where government takes anything they want from the people. Time to start an up rising. They can be stopped.
STOP these tax increases….vote these wasteful corrupt political hacks out of office..stop increasing wages for gov workers..enough..