Facing a $130 million operating budget shortfall, Jeremy made it very clear in his 1999 state of the city address, that he did not intend to let the city's serious budgetary problems prevent him from building his "vision" for Honolulu. Taxpayers protested, but then Jeremy pushed through a measure that raised property taxes by 4.5 percent for single-family homes; 13 percent for condo and apartment owners; 3 percent for hotels and resorts; 4 percent for commercial property; 9 percent for industrial lands; and 10 percent for agricultural lands. Honolulu Weekly cartoon 2-3-1999 |