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minutes 03-25-00Page 29 of 34
<br />The other thing concerning the Legislative Auditors Office. Our thought was that at this point, everyone in that office,
<br />almost, except for one person, is appointed by the County Council, as is the Legislative Auditor herself. She has no control
<br />over her staff basically because they aren’t beholden to her. They are working for the various Committee Chairs. So we were
<br />trying to make it a little more like she would have an Office, and would be able to do research, rather than just doing Council
<br />Services. That was the point of what we were doing, but I think you have a different take on that.
<br />CHRISTOPHER: My advice is that the office, as designed, is inherently dysfunctional, and there really isn’t a need for the
<br />position of Legislative Auditor. Get rid of that position. She’s trying to coordinate something that shouldn’t be coordinated. It
<br />should simply be Legislative Research staff available for - Each Council member should get at least one, and then you could
<br />have maybe a couple others, that she did pick, that everyone shared.
<br />IRVINE: Or maybe not have a Department Head there, you mean?
<br />CHRISTOPHER: Yes, I think it’s a wasted position. It’s a complete boondoggle. But it is very important that legislators have
<br />their own research staff because if they don’t - And it’s up to them to pick good research staff, and frankly, I was there and I
<br />didn’t see any research going on except for what I was doing. I didn’t see a single piece of research being done there except
<br />for what I did. But that’s their fault. If they don’t want to do research, let them hire somebody that’s incompetent, but give
<br />them the ability to hire someone they trust and that’s competent, and then let the voters throw them out when they don’t come
<br />up with any real legislative progress, because Council members are not supposed to be administering the County. They’re
<br />supposed to be writing legislation. Almost no legislation comes out of the Council, and when it does, it usually is handed to
<br />them from the Mayor’s Office, or more often, handed to them directly from developers, and they simply rubber stamp it.
<br />HERKES: From the Legislature maybe.
<br />CHRISTOPHER: Well, I’ve seen it happen in Council. I’ve seen developers walk in, legislation already written, give it to the
<br />Legislative Auditor. The Legislative Auditor walks it across the little hall, the entry way, gives it to the Council and the
<br />Council members have no idea what’s in it, and they end up voting on it.
<br />RAY: Well, somebody’s got to take the initiative, Michael.
<br />HERKES: Thank you for your outcomes based budgeting. I think that was a direction that we wanted to go in, but we felt
<br />that Qualifications for Department Heads was a start, was a major start, and outcome based budgeting - You’re right, Maui
<br />County has a great - and Georgiana, I can’t remember her last name, but she’s the one that did that in Maui, with Lingle’s
<br />approval. Russell Kokubun has my Maui County budget because it was so well done. It really ties goals and outcomes into a
<br />budget form.
<br />CHRISTOPHER: They have the only homeless program of any use in the state, and it’s a direct result of that budgeting
<br />process. The last thing - I said it - I just want to make sure people pay attention – The relationship between Managing
<br />Director and at-large or district seats – It’s very important to keep that in mind. I mean, I went through it but again, it really
<br />matters there because you’re suggesting changing several of them at the same time, but there’s no inherent link between
<br />them. The worst possible scenario to get is all district races, no Mayor, and a Managing Director. It’s a recipe for disaster,
<br />and that’s why, the places that you mentioned, where they’re going back, that’s why. Because the places where that used to
<br />work, they had very homogenous communities, very little change. Different people start moving in and there’s change, and
<br />they’re completely ineffectual at dealing with it. And so that’s what you want to avoid at all costs. Just to reiterate. Thank
<br />you.
<br />RAY: Are you finished, Marni?
<br />HERKES: Well, no. One more thing. I wanted to thank you and Ms. Bonk so much for that method of selection for the Grand
<br />Jury process. I think that’s maybe a better selective method than we’ve got for the Cost-of-Government Commission. I hope
<br />we can get some wording in for that.
<br />CHRISTOPHER: It’ll take the politics out of it.
<br />HERKES: I’m not sure the Civil Jury is something I agree with, but I certainly agree with the Cost-of-Government, and I
<br />thought that was a really good selecting -
<br />CHRISTOPHER: Look at San Diego’s Civil Grand Jury. It’s only as strong as the people that are on it, but they have
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