CHARTER AMENDMENTS / BIG ISLAND

Tax revenues sought for land preservation

Big Isle voters will also face five Charter issues

By Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.com

Big Islanders will vote on an initiative proposal to buy lands to preserve as open space and five proposed amendments to the County Charter.

The initiative would put a requirement in county law for 2 percent of property tax revenues each year to be dedicated to buying land for open space. A law for that purpose already exists, but the annual amount is much lower and the total is capped at $5 million. The initiative would remove the cap.

Charter Proposal 1 would change the name of the Department of Civil Service to the Department of Human Resources.

Proposal 2 would change the name of the Fire Department to the Hawaii Fire Department.

Proposal 3 would allow some volunteer members of boards and commissions to serve longer. All appointees now have to wait two years after their term expires before they can be appointed again. The proposal would allow appointees initially serving a term of less than two years to be immediately appointed to another term of two full years.

Proposal 4 would make it more difficult to begin impeachment proceedings against elected officials.

Now, only 100 "qualified electors" need to sign a petition. Under the proposal, a petition would have to be signed by 2 percent of registered voters in the relevant preceding election, meaning several hundred to several thousand signatures would be needed.

Proposal 5 would increase privacy for voters calling for initiatives, referendums, recalls and charter changes. Petition signers would no longer have to give their Social Security number or mailing address, but would still give their residential address.

The proposal would also change the time officials have to respond to a petition from a set number of "days" to a set number of "working days."

Department names, petition requirements among Big Isle proposals

1. Should the Hawaii County Charter be amended by changing the name of:

» The Department of Civil Service to the "Department of Human Resources."

» The director of civil service to the "director of human resources."

» The department's personnel management program to the "human resources management program."

» The title of the deputy director of civil service, also referred to as the deputy director of personnel, to the "deputy director of human resources."

» The civil service commission to the "merit appeals board"?

2. Should the name of the "Fire Department" be changed to the "Hawaii Fire Department"?

3. Should provisions relating to a board or commission member's eligibility for a second appointment to the same board or commission be changed to allow persons appointed for any term of two years or less to be eligible to succeed themselves for an additional full term?

4. Should the Hawaii County Charter be amended by:

1) Changing the number of persons required to sign an impeachment petition from "not less than one hundred (100) qualified electors of the county" to:

» Not less than 2 percent of registered voters in the last general election -- for impeachment of the mayor or prosecuting attorney; and

» Not less than 2 percent of registered voters in the respective council district in the last general election -- for impeachment of a council member; and

2) Adding a requirement that persons who sign an impeachment petition must be:

» A registered voter of the county -- for impeachment of the mayor or prosecuting attorney; and

» A registered voter in the respective council district -- for impeachment of a council member?

5. Should the Hawaii County Charter be amended to:

» Remove the requirement that Social Security numbers be provided by persons signing petitions for:

Initiative or referendum;

Recall of elected officials; or

Charter amendments or revisions;

» Remove the requirement that mailing addresses be provided by persons signing petitions for recall of elected officials;

» Increase the time period allowed to certify the sufficiency of initiative and referendum petitions from twenty days to twenty working days and the supplemental petitions from five days to five working days; and

» Make minor punctuation, style, and grammar changes to sections 11-4, 11-5, and 15-1 to improve their clarity?

THE INITIATIVE QUESTION:

Should the Hawaii County Code section 2-214(b) be amended to require the County to earmark two percent (2%) of Hawaii County real property tax revenues collected annually (including penalties) for the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund; should section 2-214(c) be amended to remove the existing $5,000,000 limit on the fund's balance; and should section 2-214(d) that explains how the fund shall be used be removed from the Code?

If you agree, VOTE "FOR."

If you disagree, VOTE "AGAINST."