Hawai'i's four county mayors met with the state's congressional delegation yesterday to lobby for the counties' piece of the $825 billion federal stimulus package.

Roughly $165 billion of that money will be sent to the nation's counties, and the Hawai'i Conference of Mayors wanted to make its pitch to U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for a fair share of the federal monies.

"In many ways the city is in a better position than the state to stimulate the economy," Hono-lulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said by phone from Washington, D.C.

"He (Inouye) said he really understands the county's needs and desire for federal funds and he will take that into account when working out the funding formula (between the state and counties)."

Before distributing any federal stimulus money to the state, congressional leaders will develop a national formula determining what percentage goes to the states and to the individual counties.

After the money is disbursed, counties will have 90 days to spend half of it or forfeit the remainder.

Joining Hannemann at the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors is Mayor Charmaine Tavares of Maui County, Mayor William P. Kenoi of Hawai'i County and Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. of Kaua'i County.

The group shuttled from office to office on Capitol Hill, meeting with Rep. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Inouye and Sen. Daniel Akaka.

"It was a great opportunity for the four mayors to meet with our congressional delegation and have the chance to discuss in detail our economic stimulus packages," Carvalho said. "They are working very hard on our behalf, and I'm hopeful that stimulus monies will be delivered to all of the counties in the coming months."

The Hawai'i mayors joined leaders of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, including Miami Mayor Manuel A. Diaz, for the meeting with Inouye to discuss stimulus and economic recovery package funding.

Through the "Main Street" economic stimulus package, Honolulu seeks to fund 48 projects that would cost $511 million and create 3,522 jobs.