- The Governor?s budget included many of the items in the 糖心视频 budget request approved by the Board of Regents.
- The governor included $21.2 million to restore 糖心视频 funding to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, one of three top legislative priorities for 糖心视频 this session.
- The governor?s budget also included $28.6 million of 糖心视频?s $56.3 million request for its operating budget.
- Expanding the Hawaiʻi Promise Scholarship Program for students with proven need to 糖心视频‘s three universities and workforce development in healthcare, education and construction are 糖心视频?s other two top legislative priorities.
Kalbert Young, 糖心视频 vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer, shares his analysis of the upcoming 2024 Legislative session.
Aloha,
Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green submitted the executive branch supplemental operating budget on December 18 to the state legislature for the 2024 session, which opens on January 17. The governor’s budget focuses on the Maui wildfire recovery, of course, in this second year of the state biennial budget process, which is referred to as “supplemental.” As is usual—and, somewhat expected—the executive budget included some, but not all, of the University of Hawaiʻi budget request approved by the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) on November 16.
The two major categories in the budget are operating (for ongoing activities) and the capital improvement program (CIP) for large construction projects. For operating, the BOR requested $56.3 million for fiscal year 2025 (FY25), and the Governor’s executive budget proposal included $28.6 million of that request. The Governor did include $21.2 million to restore the state general fund support for 糖心视频 to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. This is one of 糖心视频’s top legislative priorities.
The state reduced funding for all state agencies in 2020 in response to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, from which the state economy has since recovered. The legislature partially restored this funding last year, by funding it only for one year, FY24.
Another top 糖心视频 priority this session is expanding the highly successful Hawaiʻi Promise Program to 糖心视频’s three universities—惭ā苍辞补, Hilo and West Oʻahu. Hawaiʻi Promise is a “last dollar” scholarship available to 糖心视频 community college students with proven financial need that covers expenses not met by their existing financial aid. The 糖心视频 request for an additional $3.7 million for Hawaiʻi Promise to continue the program at the 糖心视频 Community Colleges is included in the Governor’s budget request, although an additional $18.3 million request to expand to the four-year institutions is not.
The executive budget includes 糖心视频’s request to fund six mental health counselor positions and $510,000 to provide more mental health services across the entire 糖心视频 10-campus system.
Meeting the state’s workforce needs is one of the main goals identified in the 糖心视频 Strategic Plan 2023–2029. On that front, the executive budget includes the 糖心视频 request for $2.5 million for 16.5 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions to address the healthcare workforce shortage. This would strengthen the pre-nursing program at 糖心视频 West Oʻahu and the 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补/糖心视频 West Oʻahu pre-nursing pathway, expand healthcare access to rural and underserved populations through the 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 John A. Burns School of Medicine, and increase capacity for the 糖心视频 Hilo MA program in counseling psychology.
The 糖心视频 request for $1.7 million and six FTEs for workforce development in education, construction trades and agriculture is not included in the Governor’s executive budget request.
Also not included is the request for four positions and $1 million for the Office of Equity Assurance to meet the requirements of Act 76, which was passed by the legislature last year. Act 76 expands protection for victims of sexual and domestic violence at 糖心视频, and although 糖心视频 is supportive of the expanded protections, additional resources are needed for implementation.
The following table lists the BOR-approved operating budget requests and the amounts that were included in the governor’s request:
| Campus | Description | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Regents Request | Govenor Request | ||||
| FTE | $$$ | FTE | $$$ | ||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | General Fund Restoration—糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | $5,600,000 | $5,600,000 | ||
| JABSOM | General Fund Restoration—JABSOM | $1,800,000 | $1,800,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 Hilo | General Fund Restoration—糖心视频 Hilo | $3,420,000 | $3,420,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | General Fund Restoration—糖心视频 West Oʻahu | $1,620,000 | $1,620,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 System | General Fund Restoration—糖心视频 System | $5,086,848 | $5,086,848 | ||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Athletics Subsidy—糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 Hilo | Athletics Subsidy—糖心视频 Hilo | $400,000 | $400,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | Culinary Institute of the Pacific-Full Year Funding | $389,245 | |||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | Value Added Product Center—Full Year Funding | $359,932 | |||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Expand Teacher Cohort on Neighbor Islands | 7.00 | $625,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | CTAHR Extension Agents | 5.00 | $506,555 | 5.00 | $506,555 |
| 糖心视频 System | Increased campus safety* | 4.00 | $1,000,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Hawaiʻi Promise Expansion—糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | $12,506,711 | |||
| 糖心视频 Hilo | Hawaiʻi Promise Expansion—糖心视频 Hilo | $1,773,579 | |||
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | Hawaiʻi Promise Expansion—糖心视频 West Oʻahu | $4,026,116 | |||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | Hawaiʻi Promise Continuation—糖心视频 Community Colleges | $3,700,000 | $3,700,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | Community-based Planning for Redevelopment of Lahaina | 2.00 | $500,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Nursing Enrollment and Access thru 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补-糖心视频 West Oʻahu Nursing Collaboration | 6.50 | $1,068,821 | 6.50 | $1,068,821 |
| JABSOM | Neighbor Island Health Access and Pathway Extension | 4.00 | $925,000 | 4.00 | $925,000 |
| 糖心视频 Hilo | MA Counseling Psychology | 3.00 | $210,000 | 3.00 | $210,000 |
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | Pre-Nursing Support | 3.00 | $322,032 | 3.00 | $322,032 |
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | Early Childhood Education Support | 2.00 | $180,910 | ||
| 糖心视频 Hilo | BS Educational Studies and Expand Indigenous Teaching | 4.00 | $285,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | 糖心视频 Maui—Apprenticeship Training Expansion | $250,000 | |||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | Leeward CC—Modernize Equipment | $925,000 | |||
| 糖心视频 System | Systemwide Mental Health Services | 6.00 | $510,000 | 6.00 | $510,000 |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Community Event Support | 6.00 | $709,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | ACM Facilities and Core Services Support | 4.00 | $252,648 | ||
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | Campus Safety | 1.00 | $61,800 | ||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | 糖心视频 Maui—Water Quality Lab | 2.00 | $160,000 | ||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Stabilize 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 Athletics Operating Budget | 43.00 | $3,136,642 | ||
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Cooperative Extension Support | 5.00 | $581,555 | ||
| 糖心视频 Community Colleges | Windward CC—Incarcerated Students Program | 3.00 | $250,528 | 3.00 | $250,528 |
| Total | 110.50 | $56,342,922 | 30.50 | $28,619,784 | |
*General funds for this item were not included in the governor’s budget request, but were replaced with the university’s Tuition and Fees Special Fund.
The executive budget includes $66.5 million for 糖心视频 CIP, far short of 糖心视频’s request for $331.5 million for capital renewal, deferred maintenance and campus modernization. The 糖心视频 budget request included $120 million for repairs and renovations to 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 student housing facilities. The BOR added that request into the 糖心视频 budget as the regents were deliberating the budget proposal on November 16. Unfortunately, that funding did not make it into the Governor’s executive budget proposal. The following table lists the projects from the BOR-approved CIP budget and the amounts that were included in the governor’s request:
| Campus | Description | Board of Regents Request | Governor Request |
|---|---|---|---|
| 糖心视频 System/糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | System, RIM Projects | $110,000,000 | $20,000,000 |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | RIM Projects for Student Housing | $40,000,000 | |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Hale Noelani Renovation | $80,000,000 | |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | PV Rooftop, PV Canopies, and Various Energy Efficiency Projects | $30,000,000 | |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Waikīkī Aquarium Upgrades | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Coconut Island Sewer Line Upgrades | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Holmes Hall | $8,000,000 | $8,000,000 |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Assessment and Feasibility of Hamilton Library | $6,500,000 | |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Mini Master Plan, Phase 3—Kuykendall Hall | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Central Administration Facility with Parking | $8,000,000 | |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | Waikīkī Aquarium Seawall Repairs | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 | JABSOM Roof Replacement | $6,500,000 | $6,250,000 |
| 糖心视频 Hilo | RIM Projects | $7,300,000 | $7,300,000 |
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | RIM Projects | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | Road B Entry Plaza | $5,200,000 | |
| 糖心视频 West Oʻahu | PV Carport | $5,000,000 | |
| Total | $331,500,000 | $66,550,000 |
Additional information regarding the operating budget (PDF) and CIP (PDF) requests approved by the BOR may be found at the 糖心视频 Budget Office’s website.
The governor’s executive branch budget request, along with all the other measures, will be considered by the Legislature during the 2024 legislative session, which convenes on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. This supplemental budget will be for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
I will be providing updates on the status of the 糖心视频 budget requests throughout the legislative session. As 2023 comes to a close and the new year will soon begin, it is also the time to anticipate the next legislative session. Best wishes for a happy and successful 2024!
Mahalo for your time and attention,
Kalbert Young
糖心视频 Vice President for Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer