TALK OF RAISES SHELVED AMID CUTS, CRISIS
SALARY COMMISSION POSTPONES SALARY BUMPS AS KIM SEEKS $5M SLASHED
Mauna Loa a no-go
HILO — Hawaii Island residents will
have only one volcano to worry about. At
least for now.
The U.S. Geological Survey lowered
the alert level for Mauna Loa on
Thursday from “advisory” to “normal” as
seismic activity returns to background
levels.
USGS’ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
raised the level nearly three years ago as
the volcano showed signs of awakening
from its slumber. From 2014 through
2017, geologists measured higher rates
of shallow earthquakes and ground
deformation consistent with magma
entering the volcano’s shallow reservoir.
But geologists say seismic activity has
been at background levels for the past
six months and the threat of an eruption
has been reduced.
Asta Miklius, HVO geophysicist, said
the magma will be stored until it cools or
becomes part of the next eruption.
“If magma is still available, we might
not want to rely on having a long period
of increased seismicity before the next
eruption,” she said. “But, in any case, we
are watching it very closely. We will see
seismicity and deformation as magma
moves to the surface.”
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A similar period of elevated activity
occurred from 2004 to 2009 without an
eruption.
Mauna Loa’s last eruption began
March 25, 1984, and lasted a little more
than three weeks. It was centered on the
volcano’s northeast rift zone and sent
lava flowing toward Hilo.
Meanwhile, Kilauea has been erupting
almost continuously since 1983 and
continues to pour lava out of fissures on
the lower East Rift Zone as it has for the
past 7 weeks.
Miklius said Mauna Loa and Kilauea
have separate magma systems.
HILO — As the reality of the
county’s budget crisis sank in
Thursday, Mayor Harry Kim
held an emergency Cabinet
meeting seeking $5 million in
cuts, and the Salary Commission
voted to postpone discussion of
a new round of top officials’ raises
until August.
Kim, released from the hospital
and back at work Thursday
morning after suffering his
sixth heart attack Saturday, said
department heads are following
his instructions to identify cuts
in their budgets by the end of
this week. He said he’s leaving
the recommendations up to
the departments in conjunction
with the Finance
Department,
although he
and the County
Council have
ultimate
authority.
“The departments
know
their budget needs,” Kim said.
Kim, however, isn’t satisfied
with many of the possibilities
being discussed, such as closing
swimming pools on weekends
and curtailing hours for gyms
and county facilities.
“Services to the public are the
last to be cut,” Kim said.
The county needs to find $5
million to balance the annual
budget that begins July 1,
after property tax losses in
lava-ravaged Puna lowered
expected revenues. While the
county is getting state and federal
emergency funds, they can be
used only for disaster response,
not plugging budget holes.
About 75 percent of the
$518 million operating budget
is locked into salaries, wages,
past debt payments and other
items beyond county control,
Deputy Finance Director
Nancy Crawford told the Salary
Commission. That means the
county needs to trim 3.8 percent
from the $13o million
remaining in non-mandatory
services.
The Salary Commission was
scheduled to discuss a chart
showing suggested raises for
some department heads and
deputy department heads,
based on how much their subordinates
make and what the
other three counties pay for
comparable positions.
Chairman Hugh Ono said
raises made in union agreements
since the Salary Commission
last raised their bosses’ salaries
have put some salaries out of
whack. The commission’s goal
is to have no subordinate make
within 5 percent of a department
head or deputy.
But Human Resources
Director Bill Brilhante recommended
the commission hold
off. Double-digit raises as high
as 35 percent went into effect
March 1, at a more than $1.5
million hit to the budget.
“I recommend that we, as of
now until the current budget
situation gets more stabilized, I
recommend we postpone future
discussion and let the current
budget situation work out,”
Brilhante said. “There are still
a lot of moving parts … I’m not
sure it’s the appropriate time
right now.”
O’Hara
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HI 87 LO 75 WEATHER, PAGE 8A
VOL. 50, NO. 173 20 PAGES
KILAUEA ERUPTION
BY NANCY COOK LAUER
WEST HAWAII TODAY
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
“Given the state of
the county, I think
giving raises or even
considering giving
raises is premature.”
MILTON PAVAO
COUNTY COMMISSIONER
Kim
SEE RAISES PAGE 12A
Back from
the dead
ONCE-DOOMED TAX RAISE
TO BE HEARD JUNE 29
BY NANCY COOK LAUER
WEST HAWAII TODAY
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
HILO — It ain’t over till it’s over.
Baseball great Yogi Berra’s famous
quote could well apply to the general
excise tax hike in Hawaii County, which
is coming back in a special June 29
County Council meeting, just one day
shy of the state-imposed deadline to
pass it.
Puna Councilwoman Eileen O’Hara,
part of a 5-4 majority
that killed the increase
Tuesday, on Thursday
asked for a reconsideration
of the issue. The
one-quarter percent
county surcharge, raising
an estimated $20
million a year, would
start Jan. 1, 2019, and
end Dec. 31, 2020, under Bill 159.
It was a compromise measure after
the council earlier postponed a full
half-percent tax surcharge allowed by
the state Legislature, with a 2030 expiration
date.
Because the tax is itself taxed, the .25
percent tax on a $100 purchase would
increase by 26 cents, raising the purchase
from $104.17 to $104.43, once
the 4 percent state GET is also taken
into account.
O’Hara couldn’t immediately
be reached for comment. Her written
request for reconsideration
sent to Council Chairwoman Valerie
Poindexter date-stamped at 2:10 p.m.
Thursday was succinct, merely asking
for reconsideration and requesting a
meeting before June 30.
SEE GET PAGE 10A
INSIDE
10 MORE YEARS
TO FINISH UP
289-unit Alii
development
given extension
PAGE 5A
▼
TELESCOPE
BATTLE
Hawaii Supreme
Court hears
another Thirty
Meter Telescope
case appeal
PAGE 11A
▼
Mauna Loa looms above Keaau in this aerial photo taken in September 2014. HOLLYN JOHNSON/TRIBUNE-HERALD
USGS LOWERS ALERT LEVEL ON MAUNA LOA AS SEISMIC ACTIVITY RETURNS TO NORMAL
BY TOM CALLIS
HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD
SEE LAVA PAGE 12A
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