Seven city projects, including a $4.8 million initiative to improve public transportation in and out of Waianae, are the latest local casualties of ongoing cuts to federal spending. 

What You Need To Know

  • The cuts were confirmed in a memo from Honolulu managing director Mike Formby to the Honolulu City Council’s Committee on Budget last week
  • Gone, at least temporarily, were four Congressional Directed Spending programs totaling more than $8.7 million and three programs funded through federal grants equaling $1.7 million
  • In his memo to the committee, Formby stated that the city intends to resubmit the previously approved Congressional earmarks in the Fiscal Year 2026 cycle
  • Also cut was a $296,128 grant for the 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture planning and implementation of food waste reduction and expansion of composting, which the USDA said 'no longer effectuates agency priorities regarding diversity, equity and inclusion programs and activities'

The cuts were confirmed in a memo from Honolulu managing director Mike Formby to the Honolulu City Council’s Committee on Budget last week.

Gone, at least temporarily, are four Congressional Directed Spending programs totaling more than $8.7 million and three programs funded through federal grants equaling $1.7 million.

State. Rep. Darius Kila called the termination of the Waianae Coast Bus Rapid Transit project “devastating” for the Waianae community he represents.

“Every day, Waianae residents depend on public transit to get to work, school, and support their families,” Kila said in a statement released on Monday. “The route they take is long, unreliable, and a daily reminder of the neglect our community has faced for far too long. That’s why the $4.8 million Waianae Coast Bus Rapid Transit project was not just a study; it was a long-awaited commitment to bring improvements to a community that is consistently overlooked.”

Kila, who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, urged the city to prioritize the continuation of the project “as a lifeline and necessity for our community.”

In his memo to the committee, Formby stated that the city intends to resubmit the previously approved Congressional earmarks in the Fiscal Year 2026 cycle.

The other affected earmarks include special needs housing improvements ($3 million); a green stormwater infrastructure planning study ($500,000); and a community equity program for small, disadvantaged and underrepresented businesses ($404,000).

Among the federal grant projects eliminated was one to install a microgrid electrical system at Kaimuki Middle School. The project was funded via the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which FEMA discontinued earlier this month.

In an advisory issued on April 4, FEMA stated: “The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under (Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem’s) leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.”

Also cut was a $296,128 grant for the 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture planning and implementation of food waste reduction and expansion of composting, which the USDA said “no longer effectuates agency priorities regarding diversity, equity and inclusion programs and activities.”

A $923,477 grant for the 2024 Environmental Protection Agency Climate Champions program was also withdrawn because “the objectives of the award are no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities,” according to an EPA memo announcing the cut.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.