MIN CHARTER 2018-10-12 (2018-2020)

Home

Hawai`i County Charter Commission -4 October 12, 2018 from. So I have no real strong opposition on that because I feel that is the people's money, it needs to be funded, and we need to establish a system that funds them to the amount that they need, not want, but need to do their job. CHR. ADAMS: Commissioner Hopkins. MR. HOPKINS: Mr. Mayor, thank you for coming and talking to us today. Regarding your comment about being opposed to a review every two years of cabinet members, I can understand your concern about that. But obviously if there wasn't a perceived problem, I'm not saying a real problem, if there wasn't a perceived problem with cabinet—not, I won't say—what's a good word to put it? Not getting along with Council very well, I don't think it would've come up. What is your—if they don't do that, what do you suggest is the alternative such that we can what is the process for Council to have more input in towards cabinet members who, let's just say, are doing their own thing? MAYOR KIM: Excuse me for laughing. I'm not laughing at you. I'm just laughing at doing their own thing. They'd be fired. That's not putting it lightly. I mean the cabinet appointed by the Mayor confirmed, most positions, by the Council. And their qualifications are wide open. And sometimes it's been very difficult to even find someone to fill a position because of different personal reasons. In regards to that, once that person has been nominated and confirmed by the County Council the supervision and authority of that person should be with that person, which is the Mayor. There will always be, always be, I don't care what the system is, the cabinet member goes to the Council many, many times for positions, requests for funds, et cetera. And there will be disagreements, always will there be disagreements. I accept that and I think the cabinet accepts that and the Council accepts that. What I am talking about is, not that that will happen or not happen, I am saying is a person who is an employee of the County Government under the supervision of the Mayor to carry out the Mayor's so-called policies and programs. I ask that they not be split into a situation where you put a person in different elements of supervisions simply because someone else is going to evaluate that person. There is always evaluation on what is best in doing the job for the job's sake, not on particular types of issues. And I think if you review just my one and a half years here, sir, you will see that by simply the number of people that have changed positions in the cabinet. I cannot think of any single situation of a government where an employee is to be reviewed and evaluated by not the direct supervisor, or by another government body. I ask that you seriously look at that, and I ask only one question which I can openly say. Everything that is presented by this administration and the members of this administration will truly be for one agenda only—what we feel is best to run the County Government of Hawai`i. Page 12