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HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER COMMISSIONPage 18 of 41
<br />changing that?
<br />TAKAHASHI: No. No.
<br />RAY: Okay. Other questions?
<br />BESS: I have a -.
<br />RAY: Sue.
<br />BESS: Go ahead, Sue.
<br />IRVINE: Oh. I guess I was reading about operating budgets and then an operating program of three
<br />years.
<br />TAKAHASHI: That’s right.
<br />IRVINE: I’m very ignorant on this stuff, mind you, I know what, you know, the difference between
<br />operations and capital, but we have a lot of words in our Charter about that. Can you address that at all,
<br />why an operating program -?
<br />TAKAHASHI: Okay.
<br />IRVINE: Needs to be there?
<br />TAKAHASHI: The operating program, it generally, it gives you what the department plans to do, it
<br />gives you, you know, the longer range ideas as to what they have, what they would like to accomplish,
<br />and what they project to be the numbers that would take them there, at least like -. Although the Charter
<br />requires us to do a three-year operating program, we actually do a six-year, you know, we extend the
<br />numbers out six years. But how valued those numbers are, you know, of course, hinges upon a lot of
<br />external circumstances that could well change the numbers from year to year. But as far as the program,
<br />it does -, we are trying to place more emphasis on, you know, having the departments give us a better
<br />feel as to, you know, more specific goals, objectives, measurable issues. You know, we -. I think many
<br />of the other counties are beginning to go into program budgeting, so we are looking at that, also. I think
<br />this year we submitted a budget to the Council that has not -, has taken us to a higher level than line item
<br />budgeting. We’re right now at object level budgeting, which then would, you know, focus, take the
<br />focus away from your pens, pencils, paper clips. Now, the Council has not expounded on that; they have
<br />not objected to that format, but the next phase would be giving them more definitive goals, objectives,
<br />measurable quantity, you know, measurable standards, and we will be working with the departments on
<br />that at the next phase.
<br />IRVINE: We had -, we were given a model county charter book, and it seems to talk about operating
<br />expenses on a yearly budget -.
<br />TAKAHASHI: That’s right.
<br />IRVINE: Basis, but capital expenditures on a five to six-year, which we do, I understand.
<br />TAKAHASHI: Well, capital budgeting is done annually, but the capital programming is six years.
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