The four county mayors yesterday asked state lawmakers for financial support and help on issues that range from ambulance service and earthquake insurance to affordable housing and healthcare shortages as this year's legislative session begins.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann thanked legislators for helping get the city on the road to its long-debated multibillion-dollar transit system by authorizing a tax increase last year to help pay for it. He asked for support with administrative expenses of about $5 million to handle start-up costs.

He said the four county leaders unanimously support keeping in place three laws that protect the counties against civil liability at public beach parks, for lifeguards, and at other public lands where signs warn people about potential natural dangers.

In the mayors' annual appearance before lawmakers to outline their needs and wants, Hannemann chided the state for not budgeting more support for ambulances. But in general, the mayors struck a modest chord, seeking assistance in key shared challenges and not pleading for big changes, a contrast to some previous years.

"The state has continued to shortchange the city for its provision of emergency medical services, to the point that many of our ambulances have exceeded their recommended mileage, and our life packs, which contain defibrillators, are 12 years old," Hannemann said.

Big Island Mayor Harry Kim said the Oct. 15 earthquakes pointed out the absence of an insurance policy that covers losses from quake damage. He asked lawmakers to push for a federal program similar to flood insurance to provide financial protection, and some state program during the transition.

He said the other crises for his county are: the use of crystal methamphetamine (down but still dangerous); the spread of alien coqui frogs; housing; and healthcare shortages in key medical areas.

"Please don't get a heart attack in Kona because there are no cardiologists," Kim warned wryly.

Maui County Mayor Charmaine Tavares told lawmakers she had been in office 9 1/2 days by the time she spoke yesterday. But she said affordable housing is a priority.

And she hopes for more state-county cooperation on shared interests such as key road projects. "We try to take care of our own home problems as much as we can," she said.

Kaua'i Mayor Bryan Baptiste focused on affordable housing projects breaking ground, which will add nearly 200 such units to the island. "I am pleased to tell you that thanks to your tremendous support, Kaua'i's first homeless shelter is now in its final stages and is scheduled to open this fall," he said.

Baptiste also asked for $1 million toward improvements to the Pouli Road Connector project to help ease growing traffic congestion, and help with eradication of coqui frogs.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.