RES 084 Draft 01 2012-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WHEREAS, the Hawaii County Council believes the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program has invigorated the intended purpose of the trust fund and buoyed public confidence in a viable alternative to a private campaign funding system, which is tainted by the widespread perception that private contributions influence elected officials and that politicians become obligated to those who donated to their campaigns; and WHEREAS, Senate Bill 381 SD2 provides needed amendments to address deficiencies in the funding formula of the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program, to average the funding amount to the amount of money spent by winning candidates in the last two election cycles across all County district races; and WHEREAS, even with these amendments, the 2014 election year of the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program is under threat of cancellation due to the ongoing insolvency and depletion of the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the 2013 Hawaii State Legislature is hereby urged to address the solvency of the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund by: (1) Appropriating general funds for the administration and payroll expenses of the Campaign Spending Commission; (2) Raising the dollar amount of the state income tax check-off to the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund and enact other revenue mechanisms to increase revenues to this fund; (3) Lowering the fund balance limit at which the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program is rendered inoperative; (4) Allowing candidates the option to use public funding for the primary but not for the general election; and (5) Establishing a mechanism to allow for funding of primary elections only, if funds are insufficient to support both primary and general elections. 2