Council adopts code change to allow county to use portion of GET for housing infrastructure, adds roadways to allowable costs

The Hawaii County Council voted March 19, 2025, to amend county code (Bill 27) to permit the county to use revenues from its general excise tax (G.E.T.) surcharge for county‑appropriated housing infrastructure costs. The action implements language expanded by the state Legislature (Act 30) to allow counties to use the surcharge for housing infrastructure in addition to prior transportation uses.

Councilmember Kristen Kurkowitz, who introduced the measure with Chair Inaba, said the change "does not dedicate any funding. This merely provides our county the opportunity to pull this lever and invest in housing infrastructure." She described the vote as clearing a legal path to consider directing G.E.T. surcharge revenues to affordable and workforce housing during upcoming budget deliberations.

Vice Chair Amy Onishi proposed and the council approved an amendment to explicitly add "roadways, curbs and gutters" to the definition of housing infrastructure costs. Onishi…