Honolulu Star-Bulletin
General Election GuideCharter Amendments Voters in Honolulu and on Big Island, Kauai and
Maui will consider many charter proposals
1. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to establish a Fire Commission with the responsibility of appointing and removing the Fire Chief and performing other duties concerning the Fire Department? Honolulu charter proposals
The adoption of this proposal will establish a fire commission to ensure qualified and professional leadership and personnel for the Fire Department, as well as enhance public oversight for the departmental operation
2. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to provide for Council confirmation of the mayoral appointments to the positions of Director of Wastewater Management and Director of Human Resources* and to clarify that the Director of Human Resources* shall be appointed and may be removed by the Mayor?*note: The "Director of Human Resources" will be renamed the "Director of Community and Social Resources" if the voters approve the charter amendment changing the name of the "Department of Human Resources" to the "Department of Community and Social Resources."
The adoption of this proposal will conform the confirmation process for the directorship of the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Wastewater Management to other departments, and to expressly provide for the appointment of the Director of Human Resources by the Mayor.
3. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to change the name of the Department of Human Resources to the Department of Community and Social Resources to more accurately describe the programs and services of the department?The adoption of this proposal will change the name of the department charged with public programs and services from the Department of Community and Social Resources.
4. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to prohibit a City officer, under certain situations, from: (1) advocating the appointment or promotion of the officer's relative to a City position; or (2) Appointing or promoting the officer's relative to a city position.The adoption of this proposal will place restrictions on the appointment or promotion of a relative by a public officer in city government to insure that persons in city government are appointed and promoted based on ability and merit and not because of family ties.
5. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to provide that the Executive Secretary to the Neighborhood Commission be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council, and may be removed by the Mayor?The adoption of this proposal will establish that the Executive Secretary of the Neighborhood Board shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council, and may be removed by the Mayor to ensure that the position of executive secretary of the Neighborhood Commission is filled by a qualified individual who is deemed competent, impartial, and responsive to Oahu's diverse neighborhoods by both the executive and legislative branches of government.
6. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to provide the board or commission members may be removed from office pursuant to City policies and procedures established by ordinance?The adoption of this proposal will add language to allow for the removal of members of boards and commissions by policies and procedures provided by ordinance to ensure that boards and commissions are able to meet and make decisions in a timely manner and that members of City boards and commissions who are unwilling or unable to attend meetings regularly are replaced by persons who are able to attend meetings.
7. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to make the provisions of the Charter relating to City "officers," including the City's ethical standards of conduct, apply to City Prosecutor as they currently apply to the City's other elected officials, the Mayor and City Council members?The adoption of this proposal will result in the Prosecuting Attorney being treated the same as other elected City officials with respect to compliance with the City's ethical standards of conduct and other charter provisions.
8. Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to dissolved the Public Transit Authority, transfer its powers, duties, and functions to the Department of Transportation Services, create a Transportation Commission to review and make recommendations on certain activities of the Department and its Director, and make conforming amendments?The adoption of this proposal will dissolve the Public Transit Authority, transfer its powers, duties and functions to the Department of Transportation Services and create a Transportation Commission within the Department of Transportation Services to enhance coordination and accountability for transit planning.
HILO - Big Island voters will vote on changing the terms of service of County Council members under two proposed amendments to the County Charter. Big Island charter proposals
The first would limit Council members to four consecutive terms of two years each for a total of eight years. After that a Council member would have to sit out one election cycle before running for the Council again.
There is currently no limit on the number of terms a Council member can serve. Councilman Takashi Domingo is retiring after serving 20 years on the Council.
The second amendment would permit an elected official to remain in office while running for a different office, if the term of the second office began after the term of the first office ended.
The charter now declares an office vacant (requires an elected official to resign) when running for another office, even if the new and old offices do not overlap.
This was the reason Council Chairwoman Keiko Bonk had to resign to run for mayor in the current election, even though her Council seat does not overlap with the next term of the mayor's office.
LIHUE - Kauai voters will be facing 10 charter amendment questions, including three that could do away with their current method of electing county leaders. Kauai charter proposals
They can opt for non-partisan elections that would require mayoral, County Council and prosecutor candidates to run without any party affiliation.
And they could join the other counties and require five of the seven Council candidates to be elected by district, with the other two chosen at large.
Kauai voters also will decide if they want to extend the current two-year Council term to four, while imposing a limit of two consecutive terms.
If adopted, the amendments would take effect in the 1998 primary election.
Other key proposals call for clearly defining the powers of the Council and administration in spending grant monies, and repealing a requirement that planning commissioners represent business, labor or environmental interests.
Also on the ballot are proposals to make the planning director a voting member of the water board; publicize the findings of the Cost Control Commission; and raise county bidding thresholds to state standards, along with two housekeeping measures.
WAILUKU - Two Charter amendments involving building permit appeals will be on the ballot in Maui County. Maui charter proposals
One amendment, backed by the county public works director Charles Jencks, would transfer the administration of the Board of Variances and Appeals to the Department of Planning.
The board, which reviews zoning issues, is currently under the administration of the county Department of Public Works and Waste Management.
Jencks said public works relies heavily upon planners for expertise and the transfer would make the operations more efficient.
The second Charter amendment, supported by Councilman Tom Morrow, would prevent the board from issuing variances from the county general plan. The power to make that decision would be placed in the County Council's hands.
Star-Bulletin writers Jim Witty, Rod Thompson, Joan Conrow
and Gary T. Kubota contributed to this report.
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