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iW:u:110ii <br />HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER <br />Section 3-17 <br />Section 3-17. County Redistricting Commission. <br />(a) There shall be a county redistricting commission which shall establish the boundaries of the council <br />districts. <br />(b) The initial redistricting commission shall consist of seven members, two of whom shall be residents of <br />the combined judicial districts of North and South Hilo, one from the judicial district of Puna, one from <br />the judicial district of Ka`u, one from the combined judicial districts of North and South Kona, one from <br />the combined judicial districts of North and South Kohala, and one from the judicial district of Hamakua. <br />The members shall be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council in the manner prescribed in <br />Section 13-4. <br />(c) Each subsequent redistricting commission shall consist of nine members. Each of the nine council districts <br />shall be represented by a resident appointed from that district, as established by the previous redistricting <br />commission. The members shall be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council in the manner <br />prescribed in Section 13-4. <br />(d) The year 1991 and every tenth year thereafter shall be redistricting years. The redistricting commission <br />shall be appointed and confirmed by July 1 of the year immediately preceding the redistricting year, and <br />shall file a redistricting plan with the county clerk by December 31 of the redistricting year. A report shall <br />be filed with the redistricting plan providing an explanation of the commission's reasoning for the plan <br />and how the plan complies with the criteria provided in subsection (g). The redistricting commission shall <br />be dissolved after the filing of the redistricting plan. <br />(e) Prior to completing a draft of the redistricting plan, the commission shall hold at least one public hearing <br />in each of the nine council districts. Upon completion of a draft redistricting plan, the commission shall <br />hold at least one public hearing in east Hawaii and one in west Hawaii. <br />(f) The county clerk shall furnish all necessary technical and secretarial services for the redistricting <br />commission. The council shall appropriate necessary funds to enable the commission to carry out its <br />duties. <br />(g) The redistricting commission shall adhere to the following criteria in establishing the boundaries of the <br />council districts: <br />(1) No district shall be drawn to unduly favor or penalize a person or political faction; <br />(2) Insofar as possible, districts should be contiguous and compact; <br />(3) District lines shall, where possible, follow permanent and easily recognizable features; <br />(4) Districts shall have approximately equal resident populations as required by applicable <br />constitutional provisions. <br />(h) The district boundaries as established by the redistricting commission shall be in effect at the first regularly <br />scheduled council election following the filing of the plan and for any subsequent council election. The <br />district boundaries in effect prior to the filing of the redistricting plan shall remain in effect during the <br />duration of the term of all councilmembers elected or appointed to represent such districts until the <br />expiration of the full term of such councilmembers, including any election held to fill an unexpired term <br />under Section 3-5. <br />(i) No member of the redistricting commission shall be eligible to become a candidate for election to the <br />County Council in the first election under any such redistricting plan. <br />