Mayor Kirk Caldwell used his third state of the city address to talk about Honolulu’s rail project. He called rail “the big elephant in this very big, outdoor room” as he spoke to an early morning audience of invited guests yesterday at the Foster Botanical Garden. The Mayor repeated his call to extend the 1/2% surcharge on the General Excise Tax indefinitely to pay for the rail project. He says it’s the best option available.
Caldwell says the other options include raising property taxes or to stop the rail project entirely. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit has estimated that last option would cost taxpayers about $4 billion. The Mayor also talked about infrastructure improvements and plans for his administration including road re-paving, sewer repairs, hybrid bus service and upgrades to park restrooms. Next week, he’ll deliver his proposed budget for the next fiscal year to the Honolulu City Council.
