CHC 1979-06-19 - Laserfiche WebLink

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If the Mayor has the authority within that department to transfer funds , what assurance is there to the councilmen and their constituents that the respective districts are going to find that number of policemen? How can assurance be built-in that Kona is not going to get all fifty? MAYOR MATAYOSHI : One of the things we are looking at when we look at government financing of program . operation when you say running like a business , you should get the greatest return, or the optimum return, of the expenditure. Right? And the administrator ' s responsibility where there are limited funds , is to use it where it will get the maximum return, optimum return. Now, if you have the others say no, you shall put here, here and here regard- less of the statistical problems , certainly you might say the area will get the thing. But now as all taxpayers contributing to a pot, you want the most return for your tax dollar. That is why Proposition 13 came up. Because a lot of times the politicians were spread all over. you will not get the optimum return on funds, point ( 1 ) . Point ( 2 ) but if there are going to be that kind of a situation where you are forced the problem you could, I would think , by resolution by the council so direct by policy that there shall be at various areas x number of policemen. Now if it varies from that policy position then it would be up to the administration to come back and explain why they are not doing that. But to shackle and say you shall do this and you shall do this and you shall do that as a legislator or as a policy maker and not as administrator, and sit back and then ask that the government be efficient. . . MR. CADINHA: The point is , Mr. Mayor, isn ' t that part of the budgeting process? In other words , if you are going to ask for x number of dollars for a specific function of government, it has to be justified. And the justifiable reasons would be services are needed here, here, and there within a department. Isn ' t that part of the bud-' geting process? MAYOR MATAYOSHI : Yes, it is and it can also be for example with the police department that we shall have seven dispatchers in Kona. We come up with that kind of designation because we feel that is the proper number for that particular division. But when you come up to the troops. . . . to float around. . .we don ' t come up and specify that. But each department each division in the case of the police has fund allocations for each one. It goes by division areas to the county council to show where they are. . MR. CADINHA: In the budget? MAYOR MATAYOSHI : That is right. MR. CADINHA: Now the question is does the executive department have the right after the budget is approved to change the allocations by division within that department? MAYOR MATAYOSHI : No, we don ' t take the money away, we move the bodies. We don ' t take the provisions away. -16-