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HRS §46-46

When a county can spend more than it has

This section lets a county spend more money than it has for the year, but only with the governor's and state finance director's approval. The extra spending is limited to a set amount, and the county can pay the bills with money borrowed from the state.

counties

The statute, as written — Excess expenditures; when permitted

Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the council of any county may, with the prior approval of the governor and the state director of finance, and upon the authority of the council, any duly authorized department, bureau, officer, or employee of the county may, (1) incur, authorize, and contract, during any fiscal year, liabilities and obligations, whether payable during the fiscal year or not, for any and all purposes, in excess of the moneys available for the purposes of the county during the year, provided that in the case of the county of Hawaii, Kauai, or Maui, the total of liabilities and obligations incurred, authorized, or contracted during any fiscal year in excess of the moneys available to the county during the year shall not exceed $100,000, and in the case of the city and county of Honolulu shall not exceed $250,000, and (2) pay such liabilities and obligations out of any moneys borrowed from the State under section 36-23.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.