The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City Council Committee on Budget on Feb. 11, 2025.
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Feb. 11, 2025, 9 a.m.
Honolulu Hale
To: Honolulu City Council Committee on Budget
Tyler Dos-Santos Tam, Chair
Scott Nishimoto, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: Bill 2 (2025) — RELATING TO FUNDS
Aloha Chair Dos-Santos Tam, Vice-Chair Nishimoto and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 2 (2025), which would repeal the Community Renewal Program Fund and the Leisure Service Incentive Fund.
As the measure notes, the Community Renewal Program Fund has been obsolete since 1975 when the federal government repealed Title I of the Housing Act of 1949.
Likewise, the Leisure Service Incentive Fund has not been listed in the city’s annual comprehensive financial reports since its inception in 1985, and therefore also appears to be useless.
Grassroot appreciates the intent of this measure and would welcome further Council actions to repeal outdated and redundant portions of the city code.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
