COM 0446.002 2010-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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known use of illegal drugs by current elected officials, the use of illegal drugs may place the mayor, the prosecuting attorney, and council members in a position to be blackmailed into voting for or against a piece of legislation that could be detrimental to the public; the mayor may be pressured by blackmail into a veto of legislation vital to the public interest but detrimental to special interests; and the prosecuting attorney may or may not choose to prosecute a case if blackmailed. Additionally, the mayor and the prosecuting attorney (Executive Branch), and the council chairperson (Legislative Branch) may sign contracts that may not be scrutinized by the other branch of government. Such awarded contracts should not be subject to inappropriate circumstances. 3. Extreme weather conditions and public safety interests. The County of Hawai`i is subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, mudslides, and rockslides, dams bursting, and lava flows. Council members and the mayor are subject to call for emergency meetings on very short notice if any of these events occur. The county council not only needs to advocate for public safety, it needs to protect the public from itself by not driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Since council members travel across the island and within their respective districts and in sometimes perilous driving conditions, it is imperative that the safety of the public not be jeopardized by any elected official driving under the influence of an intoxicant. The mayor, prosecuting attorney, and sometimes council members use County vehicles to travel. These vehicles should not be used by persons under the influence of intoxicants at any time. 4. Sensitivity of information handled by elected officials. The mayor, the prosecuting attorney, and the county council all handle sensitive information regarding pending lawsuits, personnel issues, requests for bids, and funding issues. The sensitivity of these issues indicates the need for elected officials to maintain the highest integrity and not be controlled by intoxicants or subject to the threats of blackmail by special interests. 5. The voters shall decide. The voters of the County of Hawai`i shall decide if their employees (elected officials) shall be required to have an annual, random drug test by voting on a charter 2