The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City Council Committee on Budget on March 4, 2025.
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March 4, 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 9 (2025) — RELATING TO FEES AND CHARGES
Aloha Chair Dos-Santos Tam, Vice-Chair Nishimoto and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 9 (2025), which would require the Honolulu Office of Council Services to maintain a list of fees and charges as an appendix to the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu.
Grassroot also supports Councilmember Matt Weyer’s amendment, which would require the city administration to inform the council whenever fees are changed. This would allow the Office of Council Services to keep the appendix up to date.
Bill 9 in general, if adopted, would be a welcome step toward greater transparency in the city government because a comprehensive list of all fees and charges would give citizens knowledge about what licenses and permits require fees and the dollar figures of said fees.
It would also give the Council more information about whether certain fees are obsolete or redundant, allowing for the further streamlining and simplifying of city ordinances.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
