CHC 1980 FINAL FULL TEXT PROPOSAL AMENDMENTS

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ARTICLE III LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COUNTY COUNCIL Section 3-1. Powers and. Functions. The legislative powers of the county shall be vested in the county council. Its primary function shall be legislation and public policy formulation, as distinct and separate from the executive administration of county government. Section 3-2. Composition and Terms. There shall be a county council composed of [nine] seven members [who, shall be elected at -large for terms of four years]. -Five councilmen shall be elected by the qualified voters of the respective districts as hereinafter described, and two councilmen shall be elected at - large. *The terms of at -large councilmen shall be four years and the terms of district councilmen shall be two years. The terms [of councilmen] shall begin at twelve o'clock meridian on the first Monday of December after their election. [Of the nine members elected to the county council, one *shall be a resident of the district of Puna, one a resident of the district of Ka'u, one a resident of the combined districts of North and South Kona, one a resident of the combined districts of North and South Kohala, one a resident of the district of Hamakua and one a resident of the combined districts of North and South Hilo.] Until the county reapportionment commission, as created hereunder, acts, the district councilmen shall be elected as follows: one councilman from the First State Representative District; two councilmen from the Second State Representative District; one councilman from the Third State Representative District; and one councilman from the Fourth.,State Representative District. Changes hap todistrict lines or boundaries shall be the excl?i- any sive province of the county reapportionment commission as provided in this charter, and the said district boundaries shall remain in effect until the county reapportionment commission realigns the said districts where necessary according. to the criteria set forth in Section 3-3. The person charged with the duty of conducting elections in the county shall prepare the nomination papers in such a manner that candidates desiring to file for .the office of councilman shall be able to specify whether they are seeking the seat with a district residence requirement or the seat with no district residence requirement as the case may be. [The ballots for the primary and general elections shall be prepared to give every voter in the county the opportunity to vote for each and every council seat.] Candidates shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the election laws of the state. Section 3-3. Reapportionment and Reapportionment Years. (a) The year 1983 and every tenth year thereafter shall be reapportionment years. (b) A reapportionment commission shall be constituted on or before the first day of February of each reapportionment year and whenever reapportionment is required by court order. The commission shall consist of eleven members. The commission members, no more than a majority of whom shall belong to the same political party, shall be representative of the various council districts and shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the council. The commission shall elect a chairman from among its members. (c) Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as for an original appointment within fifteen (15) days after the vacancy occurs.