The Big Island County Council will hold a public hearing tonight on a proposal to float nearly $115 million in county bonds for various construction projects.

Of that total, $18 million will be spent on the $60 million West Hawai'i Civic Center, which some critics have called "extravagant" because it includes an amphitheater, cafe and heritage museum.

Supporters of the project say the Kona community needs and deserves the project, considering the large amounts the area contributes to annual county tax collections.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Hilo council room on the second floor of the Ben Franklin Building at 333 Kilauea Ave.

Video links will also allow people to testify from the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa in Kona and the Waimea Council Office at Holomua Center at 64-1067 Mamalahoa Highway, Suite 5.