Laserfiche WebLink
• <br /> • • <br /> • Charter Commission <br /> April 10, 1979 <br /> Page 2 <br /> Kona resident offering testimony last week stated that Kona was <br /> not fairly represented. Based on its present population, this may <br /> be true . Under the one-man-one-vote concept, Kona may be <br /> under4represented but under the present breakdown of districts, <br /> Kona does have a Councilman. Like any other district, Kona has <br /> access to the three Council members who run at-large. Maybe there <br /> is a need to make it similar to how we elect our House Members, <br /> but we have not taken a firm position on that issue of numbers. <br /> We are primarily concerned with fair representation. We propose <br /> a two-year term for Council members representing a district, and <br /> a four-year term for the at-large members. <br /> On Chapter 2, Corporation Counsel, we, believe that the County <br /> Council needs to retain its own legal counsel. It is quite <br /> evident that where legal counsel is involved, it is difficult for <br /> them to serve two masters. Being appointed by the Mayor, the <br />�:. Corporation Counsel has a moral obligation to the Mayor and it is <br /> difficult to perceive him having to also be the chief legal . <br /> advisor to the Council. If the charter is revised, enabling the <br /> Council to appoint its own legal counsel, then the Corporation <br /> Counsel should not be subject to approval by the Council. <br /> The U.P.W. has always been a strong proponent of changing the <br /> status of the Department of Water Supply from the, present semi- <br /> autonomous status to making it a part of the County. The Mayor, <br /> in his proposal, stated that the reason for the semi-autonomous <br /> status was solely because it was thought that the Water Department <br /> would have a better credit rating in selling bonds. However, as <br />