Two mayors and representatives of two others went to the state Legislature’s money committees Wednesday with a unified message, that of maintaining the status quo on their counties’ shares of the hotel room tax.

"We only ask that you leave our transient accommodations tax alone," Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa said at a hearing on the opening day of the 2012 legislative session. "We respectfully ask you to keep to the agreement terms that were made last year."

For the past few years, amid lower projected state revenues, county officials have lobbied for leaving in place the share of the transient accommodations tax, known as hotel room tax, that goes to counties.

Lawmakers have coveted the funds as a source to help close sizable state budget deficits in previous years.

Last year, they agreed to limit the amount for counties to about $93 million.

Facing lower budget deficits than in the past, House Finance Chairman Marcus Oshiro said he was not looking to take any more of the revenue.

"At this point in time I think there’s no need right now," Oshiro (D, Wahiawa-Poamoho) said. "I think just to continue the status quo on what we did last year is the appropriate thing to do.

"We all serve the same constituencies. If we take it from the counties to help the state it’s going to pop up in our own neighborhoods, in our own communities. I’m not interested in looking at diverting the TAT from the counties."

Arakawa and Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho attended the hearing.

Not attending were Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi, who were in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meetings. They sent representatives instead.

County officials outlined cuts they already have made in their spending and increases in property taxes, water and sewer fees, saying they can ill afford to lose any more of their share of the tax.

Officials also were not seeking any additional funds for large-scale projects, including the city’s rail transit project.

Honolulu Managing Director Doug Chin said Mayor Carlisle had no intention of asking the Legislature for additional funds or an extension of the law allowing for a general excise tax surcharge to raise money for rail.

"The mayor does not plan to ask for an extension of the GET surcharge," Chin said. "He doesn’t see a need to do it right now."