Budget Committee amends Bill 22 to CD1, directing vacancies savings toward public-safety and sewer activities

The Committee on Budget amended Bill 22 of 2025 to a CD1 on March 11, accepting a slate of targeted changes to the mayor’s proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26 and reporting the measure out for second reading and public hearing.

The committee chair (Budget Chair) opened discussion saying the CD1 “focus[es] largely on strengthening public health and safety,” and described changes that move resources toward new first‑responder facilities, traffic‑safety work and park improvements while trimming funding from long‑term vacant positions across many departments.

Why it matters: the CD1 rearranges operating funds and line‑item descriptions to make department plans more transparent, adds a proviso intended to offset sewer fee increases with vacancy savings, and directs new or clarified funding for several first‑responder and parks projects. Committee members and agency directors debated the tradeoffs between restoring vacant positions and using one‑time savings to relieve ratepayer impacts.

What the CD1 does - Adds or clarifies funding targeted to public‑safety and parks projects that budget staff said align with council requests, including provisos and small dedicated line items. - Redirects funds tied to long‑term vacant positions in many departments (police, environmental services, design and construction, facility maintenance and others) and consolidates those savings into vacancy‑savings language the administration can use to help fund sewer‑related activities. - Moves some vehicle and equipment purchases from operating to the capital program (Bill 23), including $6.3 million for police vehicles.

Notable additions and clarifications accepted by the chair - Proviso for sewer activities: the CD1 includes an appropriation line (described in committee as $16,882,517) and a new proviso language allowing general‑fund monies appropriated in the provision for sewer activities to be used for sewer activities in FY2026 only. The chair said the intent is to use vacancy savings to reduce pressure from a proposed sewer‑fee increase. - First‑responder staffing and facilities: the committee accepted language to appropriate salaries and current‑expense support for an ambulance substation described in committee as the Mauna Wele ambulance substation (the CD1 text adds a proviso for roughly $572,349 in salaries “for an advanced life‑support team … including 1 supervisor, 3 paramedics, and 2 EMTs” and an additional $150,000 for supplies and operating costs). Budget Chair noted additional ambulance and North Shore ocean‑safety facility priorities were included. - Parks and community projects: multiple park projects and smaller operating items were moved into the capital budget (Bill 23) for clarity; the CD1 also accepted smaller operating additions such as a community policing materials proviso ($400,000) and several park maintenance or security items.

Discussion highlights and agency responses - Sewer fee concerns: Natalie Wausau, remote testifier, said she was “very concerned about the proposal to put the, pay for the sewer fees … and yet now you are proposing that we help everyone else pay for their sewer fees, and that’s just flat out wrong.” Committee members acknowledged the concern and asked for additional transparency on how any general‑fund transfers to sewer activities would be monitored. - Vacancy‑savings approach: Budget Chair framed the CD1 cuts to long‑term vacancies as a one‑year measure intended to free funds for high‑priority needs; several department directors pushed back that some vacant positions have recently been filled or are in active recruitment. Andy Kawano, director of Budget and Fiscal Services, told the committee the city has been filling many general‑funded positions but faces retention challenges. - Police staffing and vehicles: the CD1 reduces funding tied to many long‑term vacant HPD positions (the committee listed reductions for dozens of uniformed and civilian posts totaling in the millions of dollars) while moving proposed vehicle purchases into the capital program. HPD representatives said the department is understaffed and that vacancy counts lag the actual timing of recruits entering field assignments; the department warned that cuts to funding lines can limit hiring flexibility. - Department of Environmental Services (ENV): Director Roger Babcock noted many specialized technical positions in ENV are essential (laboratory chemists, plant operators) and that the department is still recruiting for several classifications. Committee amendments included across‑the‑board vacancy reductions in ENV that the chair described as a partial measure tapped to reduce net rate pressure. - Facility Maintenance and other operational services: Gina Albano, director of Facility Maintenance, said her department is restructuring to reduce vacancy rates and asked for time to implement hires (she described a roughly three‑year cycle to implement staffing and process changes).

What the committee did not decide - The committee approved the CD1 amendments for reporting, but the full council will take up second reading and a public hearing. Several council members said they would press to restore specific positions or line items in future CD2 or FD1 amendments if departments demonstrate the need and readiness to hire.

Ending note: next steps The committee chair stated the recommendation to amend Bill 22 to a CD1 and to report it out for second reading and scheduling of a public hearing. The committee also directed departments to provide clearer line‑item descriptions and follow up with council members before the next amendment round so the council can consider restorations.

Speakers quoted (first reference with role/title): Budget Chair (Budget Chair) said the CD1 “focus[es] largely on strengthening public health and safety.” Deputy Managing Director Christian Jairam said, “We’re here to answer any questions that may come up and and offer, testimony as appropriate.” Natalie Wausau (testifier) said she was “very concerned about the proposal to put the, pay for the sewer fees … that’s just flat out wrong.” Gina Albano, director of Facility Maintenance, asked the council to allow time to implement reorganizations and hires, noting staffing “takes about 3 years” for full effect. Roger Babcock, director of Environmental Services, described the lab’s need for chemists: “the chemists do work in various divisions within the lab.”

Ending: The committee’s CD1 recommendation to amend Bill 22 was approved by the committee and the measure was reported out for second reading and public hearing; council members and department directors agreed to continue follow‑up and to consider restorations during the next amendment rounds.