logo
Honolulu's proposed 115% hike in sewer fee under review

Honolulu's proposed 115% hike in sewer fee under review

Yahoo27-05-2025
Mayor Rick Blangiardi administration's proposed 10-year, 115 % sewer fee rate increase that's expected to begin this summer remains under Honolulu City Council scrutiny.
The Council's Budget Committee today is scheduled to review aspects of city-initiated Bill 60, which, if approved, will take effect July 1.
The measure passed its second of three readings April 16.
The city Department of Environmental Services says an average single-family residential sewer bill totals approximately $110.89 a month. By July 1 that bill could rise to $122.04 a month.
ENV contends planned sewer fee rate hikes are necessary to address rising operational costs as well as fund critical projects within its $10.1 billion capital improvement program, scheduled for 2025 to 2040.
That includes work to upgrade the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant to full secondary treatment, which will cost an estimated $2.5 billion.
Potable water fee rates will not be adjusted, as they are separate fees administered by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.
In October, ENV initially proposed to increase sewer fees annually for the next 10 years—by 9 % over the first six years, followed by smaller annual increases of 8 %, 7 %, 6 % and 5 % over the subsequent four years.
But since that time other versions to Bill 60 have materialized—including a revision by ENV itself that supposedly lessens the initial blow of higher fees to its rate-paying customers.
In April, ENV Director Roger Babcock presented to the Council's Budget Committee the so-called 6 % option—which sees sewer rates rise by 6 % on July 1.
Those rates would increase by 7.5 % in 2027, 8.5 % in 2028, 9 % in the following four years, then rise by 8 %, 7.5 % and 7 % in the final three years, ending in 2035.
Under this 6 % option, the city said, the same average single-family residential sewer bill in the first year would go to $119.18 a month instead of $122.04, a 2.3 % difference.
Babcock said new rates should ensure the city is 'whole, in terms of operations and maintenance, debt service and new debt issued in order to do our (capital improvement program ).'
But Council Chair Tommy Waters has said the city's new 6 % option is 'putting the big rate increases at the end of the 10-year cycle, rather than at the beginning.'
With regard to Bill 60, Waters' tentative proposal to increase sewer fees annually for the next decade includes a 6.75 % increase for the first five years, starting July 1.
The initial increases would be followed by an 8.75 % increase for the next two years, then a decrease to 7.75 %, 6.75 % and 5.5 % over the remaining years, 'thereby creating savings, ' he said.
Waters said instead of a 100 % increase over the dec ­ade, 'it would amount to approximately about a 70 % increase over 10 years.'
Legislation related to the city's sewer fund has also materialized.
On May 5, Waters introduced Bill 43, meant to redirect a portion of the 3 % visitor-­generated Oahu transient accommodations tax, which in part is earmarked for Honolulu's rail project, to the city's sewer fund.
Bill 43, as drafted, would temporarily amend the disposition of the city's OTAT revenues so that 50 % would be deposited into the transit fund, while 41.66 % would go into the sewer fund.
The legislation also allocates 8.34 % to create a special fund, one to be named by the city Department of Budget and Fiscal Serv ­ices, to mitigate impacts of visitors on public facilities and natural resources and 'supplement any funds regularly appropriated for that purpose.'
If approved, Bill 43 would take effect July 1, 2027, and be repealed June 30, 2037.
But critics of Waters' measure—including BFS Director Andy Kawano—say it's not a feasible option for the city to pursue.
'This measure will negatively impact the city's general fund and deviate from the intended purpose of the TAT, which is to provide general fund capacity to fund city services ; mitigate the strain visitors place on public facilities, emergency services, and natural resources ; and provide additional funding for rail (i.e., 'Skyline') construction, ' Kawano wrote in a May 12 letter to Council.
Still, Waters previously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that 'Bill 43 offers a more strategic and equitable alternative to the administration's proposed 115 % rate hike.'
'By using the Council's existing authority to reallocate a portion of OTAT revenue, Bill 43 reduces pressure on working families, ' he said. 'It ensures that visitors who contribute heavily to the wear and tear on our water and wastewater systems contribute a fair share.'
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. inside Council chambers, 530 S. King St.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Help select 30th Street Station's newest monument
Help select 30th Street Station's newest monument

Axios

time2 days ago

  • Axios

Help select 30th Street Station's newest monument

The new monument set for 30th Street Station is coming into focus. Why it matters: The memorial for the station's namesake — deceased U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III — will likely become a landmark and meeting spot inside the busy transit hub. Driving the news: The finalists presented their proposed designs Tuesday at the Cira Centre skyscraper near the station. The memorial will stand just steps inside the station's grand 30th Street entrance, becoming among the first site people see when they enter the massive hall. The public is invited to leave feedback on the designs on the foundation's website. Context: Gray was a congressman between 1979 and 1991 for the 2nd District in Philly. He became the first African American to lead the U.S. House's influential Budget Committee. Gray also served as minister of Philly's Bright Hope Baptist Church for years. The station was named after him in 2020. The big picture: The station is in the midst of a yearslong major overhaul, which is expected to wrap up in 2027. The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is leading the statue effort. What's next: The foundation's advisory committee will survey the public feedback and other criteria to select a winning design, which is expected in the fall. Installation could be finished as soon as summer 2026 in time for the city's celebrations and events tied to the nation's 250th birthday. The design options Nekisha Durrett's "Crystal Stair" Nina Cooke John's "Justice Interlaced" Paul Ramírez Jonas' "Our Ancestors Knew We Were Coming" Karyn Olivier's "Platform" Hank Willis Thomas' "Reverence"

Trump adds new level of scrutiny to wind and solar projects
Trump adds new level of scrutiny to wind and solar projects

Washington Post

time17-07-2025

  • Washington Post

Trump adds new level of scrutiny to wind and solar projects

The Interior Department said Thursday it would add additional layers of review for wind and solar energy projects, following President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at ending any 'preferential treatment' for renewable energy. The new requirement threatens to trip up the approval process as wind and solar projects race to begin construction by a deadline next July to qualify for tax credits, which have been gutted by Trump's signature One Big Beautiful Bill that Congress approved this month. The department's policies apply to projects on federal lands and waters, but generally not to those on private property.

Legendary rock star could spend more than a decade in prison
Legendary rock star could spend more than a decade in prison

Yahoo

time16-07-2025

  • Yahoo

Legendary rock star could spend more than a decade in prison

Roger Waters is facing possible prosecution after pledging support for Palestine Action, a group that has been deemed a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom. The former Pink Floyd member called Palestine Action a 'great organization,' in a video posted to his X account on July 5. 'This says, 'Roger Waters supports Palestine Action, 5th of July 2025. Parliament has been corrupted by agents of a genocidal foreign power. Stand up and be counted. It's now,'' Waters said while reading words written on a piece of cardboard. 'This is Independence Day, July 5th, 2025,' the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee continued. 'I declare my independence from the government of the U.K., who've just designated Palestine Action a terrorist, proscribed terrorist organization.' Waters then reiterated his support for Palestine before further defending Palestine Action as a peaceful group. 'They are absolutely not terrorists in any way. They are a nonviolent protest organization protesting the presence in the U.K. of Elbit Systems, who are an Israeli arms manufacturing organization,' he said. 'I support Palestine Action, and I always will because that is the right thing to do.' The United Kingdom banned Palestine Action under its anti-terrorism laws last week after its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes in protest of Britain's support of Israel. Following the protest, Parliament voted and proscribed the group as a terrorist organization, Fox reported. The governing body also determined that actions such as 'inviting support, expressing approval or displaying symbols' of the group could bring a sentence of up to 14 years in prison and/or a fine. 'Roger Waters has a long history of promoting dangerous conspiratorial tropes,' a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism told Fox. 'His declaration of support for Palestine Action, now a banned organization, is his most legally provocative move yet. We expect the police to take action, and if they do not then we will.' Waters, who has been a longtime supporter of Palestine in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, was a co-founding member of Pink Floyd. He served as the band's lyricist, co-lead vocalist and conceptual leader until his departure in 1985. More music content Pop megastar rumored to owe millions jokes he is 'almost out of debt' R&B icon addresses longtime rumor he's not really blind: 'You know the truth' Famed drummer plans to keep playing despite leaving iconic rock band Surgery scheduled for country music icon recovering from onstage stroke Coldplay returns to Gillette Stadium for two sold out shows - Here's how to buy tickets Read the original article on MassLive.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store