I have to look at it like this - the Honolulu per capital spending is pretty much in-line with other major cities. (A lot less than San Francisco!)
https://ballotpedia.org/Analysis_of_spending_in_America%27s_largest_cities
On average, salaries appear to be in -line too.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2017/03/02/urban-honolulu-ranks-16th-among-u-s-metro-areas-in.html
This is a urban area in a solidly democratic state, and there is a desire to provide services to the lower income segments ... so it has to be paid for! Folks can argue about how to collect the revenue in the short term (taxes, fees, assessments, etc), ultimately it trickles down to the local consumer.