Council: Mayor's
plan too much,
too soon

A majority of the Council says it would
vote against the restructuring plan

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

Mayor Jeremy Harris "put on his Evel Knievel helmet" in a do-or-die stunt to push his reorganization plan, leaving city employees as casualties in his path, City Councilman John DeSoto says.

Council members yesterday criticized Harris' restructuring plan, with DeSoto saying the mayor "shoved it down our throats."

Harris shot back a letter urging the Council to make the tough economic decisions needed for the city's welfare.

A majority of the Council said it would vote against the plan if a decision had to be made now. Harris hasn't submitted it yet but plans to soon.

"The Council's taking all the heat," Councilman Steve Holmes said.

No one in the mayor's office will talk to panicking city employees, who are streaming to Council members with concerns about the plan's impact, Holmes said.

"That's a bad leadership style."

Council member Jon Yoshimura sent a letter to Harris yesterday asking him to delay submitting his restructuring plan until the Council approves the budget.

"I am concerned the mayor's proposed reorganization plan may create more immediate problems than it solves. Mayor Harris expects the City Council to swallow his budgetary restructuring elephant in one whole bite," Yoshimura said.

"A proposal of this magnitude requires careful legislative oversight and a cautious approach, taking one bite of the elephant at a time."

Council members said they strongly disagree with the mayor on how the reorganization will happen.

They also feel they don't have enough time - 60 days after submittal - to evaluate the plan before they must vote on it.

"Having to review a significantly modified organizational structure, several Charter amendments and the budget in the same period of time will hinder serious and thoughtful discussion," Yoshimura said.

The lack of communication between city employees and the mayor has heightened the anxiety, said Councilman Duke Bainum.

"I've heard, 'Wow, I've been given two hours to decide who to cut.' That doesn't seem like a well-thought-out plan," Bainum said.

Parts of Harris' plan make sense, Bainum said, such as merging the Department of Land Utilization with the Planning Department.

"They were a single department before, and their jobs are similar."

Councilman Mufi Hannemann opposed the dismemberment of the Board of Water Supply, as suggested by Harris.

Council members also said the Fire Department should remain separate and intact.

Harris, who earlier proposed merging it into a Public Safety Department with agencies like Civil Defense, yesterday agreed "to retain the integrity of the HFD."

He proposed the Public Safety Department be renamed the Emergency Services Department to include Ocean Safety, Civil Defense, the medical examiner and Emergency Medical Services.