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MS. O’HARA:
<br />Yeah, I did.
<br />MS. WONG:
<br />So could you talk more about that.
<br />MS. O’HARA:
<br />Yeah, more about it in terms of what you said earlier about the expertise
<br />that is embodied in the two commissions as they’ve been appointed is an important
<br />piece. And I think our recommendation would not be to dismantle the current
<br />commissions, but upon next appointment which I guess is three years hence, to
<br />consider combining at that point and pick expertise in both fields. That would be the
<br />recommendation.
<br />MS. WONG:
<br />Excuse me. Since the mayor is now here, if we could adjust and if you
<br />could
<br />MR. KUROHARA:
<br />In other words, I have to step down. No problem.
<br />DISCUSSION, AND QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WITH MAYOR WILLIAM P.
<br />KENOI REGARDING HIS SUGGESTIONS TO PROMOTE ECONOMY, EFFICIENCY
<br />AND IMPROVED SERVICE IN THE TRANSACTION OF THE PUBLIC BUSINESS IN
<br />THE COUNTY:
<br />MS. WONG:
<br />Thank you Randy. Thank you for coming, Mr. Mayor.
<br />MAYOR KENOI:
<br />Thank you very much. First of all, before I begin, I just want to thank
<br />everybody for your service on this commission, Cost of Government Commission. You
<br />have a lot of people saying, hey, you know, Mr. Mayor, what about this commission?
<br />What are you doing about that commission? How come you don’t have more people
<br />who participate? But to have our residents give up their time, devote your concentration
<br />and effort and energy to helping government, helping our community, helping the
<br />county. I just want to say thank you. You know we have a Reapportionment
<br />Commission just seated who will spend many hours just like all of you have over many
<br />months. Had to seat the Charter Commission, right, these two commissions you get
<br />once every decade. Two Planning Commissions, Liquor Commission, Water
<br />Commission, not to mention a community development plan and steering committee
<br />and action committee, in Kona, South Kohala, North Kohala, Hamakua, Ka‘u, Puna. So
<br />there’s a lot of good people in this wonderful community giving of their time, including
<br />yourselves. I just want to say thank you very much for the work you do. Very important
<br />work. Why? I’m sure the Cost of Government Commission, 10 years ago, eight years
<br />ago, six years ago, would look very different than the Cost of Government Commission
<br />today. I always go and talk to people, I say, you know, between 2000 and 2008, The
<br />County of Hawai‘i government had one deficit year. One year where there was a deficit.
<br />So from 2000 and 2008, every year, there was a surplus in county government. The
<br />only year that there was a deficit was in 2002, post 9-11. That makes perfect sense.
<br />You know the state had a $315 million deficit. County had a $7.4 million deficit. 2003,
<br />2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, all surplus years. So government grew. Government
<br />expanded. And of course to meet the growing demands of the community. Population
<br />grow. We have to cover a 4,028 square mile island. I remind people, sit with other
<br />mayors,they tell me how big is your island? My island is bigger than the State of
<br />4
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