2006-03-02 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

Home

largest part of his job is representing the County in union grievances in which employees are complaining about action taken against them by the employer. Ms. Garson explained that the Corporation Counsel sometimes represents employees if there is an ethical violation against them. The surrounding allegations are looked at, and depending on the nature of the claim, it is determined whether representation will be provided. If a police officer during the course of his employment has a complaint levied against him/her, the Corporation Counsel will represent him. Mr. Joseph asked why the Corporation Counsel represented management in a Board of Ethics case, but did not represent the employee lodging the complaint. Mr. Udovic said it was possible in that case that the investigation into the allegations revealed, from the Corporation Counsel's standpoint, that there were no ethical violations on behalf of management. In such a case, the Corporation Counsel is obligated to represent the management employee and not the proponent of the proposition of ethical violation. Mr. Sakaguchi asked if he would have to pay for a lawyer out of his own pocket if he were a whistle blower and exempt from a union. Mr. Udovic said that is possible but that it depends on the circumstances, as whistle blowers get special treatment and could get paid. 7. PRESENTATION REGARDING COMMISSION FINANCES AND GENERAL OVERVIEW OF COUNTY FINANCES Ms. Garson introduced Deanna Sako, the Controller for the County of Hawaii, who she had invited to give the commissioners a general overview of the County's finances. (The meeting took a break from 10:55 a.m., as a quorum was lost when Mr. Sakaguchi took a cell phone call. The meeting resumed at 11:02 a.m.) Ms. Sako provided a one -page handout guideline for boards and commission members regarding reimbursement for mileage and other travel expenses. She also provided the members with the County's "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" for the fiscal year from July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004, and stated that the 2005 report would be provided soon. She directed the commissioners to page 52 of the report, where there was a brief overview of the County's annual budget process. Ms. Sako said the following: Each department starts preparing its budget in September and is to include increases in items such as gasoline and salaries. The budgets are submitted to the Budget Division of the Finance Department, where they are reviewed. The Mayor has final say over the budgets. The budgets are submitted by the Mayor to the County Council each March. The budgets are still in a preliminary format, awaiting certification of real property tax values. This gives the Council members time to review all the budgets and to ask any questions they may have. The final budget then gets prepared on what is hoped is 7