Council amends and adopts legislative package, adds conveyance‑tax fund proposal for homeless services

The Hawaii County Council voted Oct. 2 to amend and adopt its legislative proposals for the 2025 HSAC package, adding a state conveyance‑tax measure that would create a homeless services special fund and an affordable homeownership revolving fund.

Councilmember Kaguaro, who introduced the amendment, said the bill would raise conveyance taxes on certain property sales and allocate proceeds to multiple state funds including an affordable homeownership revolving fund and a homeless services fund, with a mechanism for counties to apply for matching funds. "Basically, a bill that talks about the sales tax on selling real property," Kaguaro said, adding that the measures could allow counties to apply for state matching funds for housing projects.

Council members discussed equitable allocation and ensuring counties receive a fair share. Councilmember Evans urged attention to distribution so conveyance‑tax revenue from high‑value sales returns to areas of need across islands. The Council approved the Kaguaro amendment and a second amendment proposed by Chair Kimball that would add a state bill providing resident and workforce preferences for certain projects; the Council then suspended Rule 23 to consider both amendments and adopted the amended Resolution 630-24.

The adopted package, as amended, will be transmitted to the HSAC and the state legislature for consideration during the 2025 session. Sponsors said the county will follow up with HSAC and the state delegation to advocate for the county’s positions.