County forwards operating and capital budgets after department briefings on roads, housing buyouts and planning

Hawaii County councilors voted Friday to forward the proposed fiscal 2026 operating and capital budgets to the full council after four days of departmental budget hearings that included updates from Public Works, Planning, Research & Development and the Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity and Resilience.

Public Works business manager Kelsey Kalua Lewis told the council that maintenance crews have paved 22.22 miles so far this fiscal year and the department expects to reach roughly 32 miles by year end, and that the highway fund operating budget is about $60.7 million. Lewis said the department is budgeting for vehicle and equipment replacements, software for construction and asset management, and a $2.5 million capital transfer mechanism to support federal matching and critical projects. Acting director Neil Azevedo and division chiefs highlighted ongoing CIP projects including hurricane- and lava-repair work, safe routes to school projects, and the department’s 18% vacancy rate — roughly 65 funded vacancies among 478 positions —…