CHC 1979-05-15 PH - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • MR. AUSTIN: I' asked about taxes and' I think the. Chairman said something earlier that your commission has very little to do with respect to tax administration. But, under the proposed ' witchover from the state to the county ' s tax administration , may not the charter have to be rewritten in sections having to do with tax assessment? Can anyone answer that? • MR. ,ODA: Mr. Austin , the switchover is not immediate, it is a gradual one. So far as the taxing authority of the County of Hawaii is concerned, it c-an be done by an • ordinance of the county. It does not have to be put in the charter. So the county council would probably be enacting ordinances to implement the switchover .at a later date. • MR. AUSTIN : Well , that would probably be an appropriate time to make my point that I feel that taxes now as perhaps never before, are having a drastic change on the makeup of some of our communities, such as Puako, where we live. We are, in particular, fearful .that the 20% or so annual • rise in taxes may compel local people to move away, to sell their properties and move away. We don ' t think this IS a good social practice, to force people to leave their communities. Just to make it short, because you are not interested in it, I ,would like to say that, probably then on your suggestion , we will go before the county council when 'ordinances are considered • to try to limit the acceleration of taxes at Puako and other places along the coast. • As far as representation of the councilmen, if you will give me another minute or two, I would like to favor, again on my own, a representation both by district and at-large. I would favor the present nine councilmen with two councilmen , from each of three districts. Preferably, with staggered terms 'if this were feasible.. If .the elections could be scheduled to • stagger terms so that no two councilmen from the same districts would be elected at the same time. • As far as the breakdown of districts , I would like to see South Kohala teamed with North and .South Kona as one district, with two councilmen from that district. North ' Kohala teamed with Hamakua and North Hilo as another district. And, finally, South Hilo, and Ka' u and Puna teamed together. With two representatives• fr-om. each district there would 'always be 'one available, at least, to present the views of that district. It would be a better chance that at least one of the men would bean effective representative from his district, if not both of them. • • Ialso would favor the election of three representatives. at-large to compensate for the, population discrepancies throughout the island and also hopeful that we could get some . truly island wide representatives who would be more than parochial in their interests. Something to Ltie ._ together and having nine persons would seem better being an odd number rather than an even number if you have a split vote. • I think that is. about it. • • • • -12-