Council bill City employees will not be able to receive more than $200 in gifts in a year from any one source, under a bill approved by the City Council last week.
restricts gift giving
The legislation puts a limit
on gifts from nonrelatives at
$200 for all city employeesBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comThe gift cap is one of a number of provisions in an omnibus ethics bill that would take effect July 1 if signed by Mayor Jeremy Harris.
The measure sends "a clear and unmistakable message to the public ... we'll have zero tolerance regarding unethical behavior," said Councilman Duke Bainum, who introduced the bill.
He said the bill applies to all employees, not just those elected or appointed.
Existing law requires only that all city employees report, in annual filings, gifts in excess of $200 from those doing business with the city. They also are barred from requesting or receiving gifts that can be inferred as "intended to influence" their official actions.
But there is nothing on the books actually limiting gifts.
The new provision gives exemptions to gifts received by relatives, or through wills or "exchanges of approximately equal value on holidays, birthdays or special occasions."
It also allows someone to accept an over-$200 gift if within 30 days of receipt it is donated to the city, some other public body or "a bona fide educational or charitable organization" so long as the original giver is acknowledged.
Bainum noted the recent problems faced by two of his former colleagues. Former Councilman Andy Mirikitani was convicted of receiving kickbacks last year while Rene Mansho pleaded guilty last week to two counts of theft.
"This bill would prevent these types of situations by creating an atmosphere of public trust and avoidance of undue influence by gift-giving," he said.
Too often, city officials and other employees are given lavish gifts, such as free golf course play or travel junkets, from those doing business with the city, Bainum said. The gifts imply something will be given in return, even if it's not the case.
"Now the people who may have had pressure on them to give these kinds of perks may now be free to refuse to do so," he said.
City & County of Honolulu
