Comm No 0023.03 - Testimony - CA-8 - Terms of Office for Council Members

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From: Tanya Anne <taynessazian@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2019 11:53 AM To: Charter Commission Cc: Tanya Aynessazian Subject: Charter Amendment Oppositions and Support Aloha, My name is Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian and I reside in Keaau. I oppose CA -8 to change council members' terms from two to four years. If council members did what the majority of their constituents wanted, there would be no need to fundraise, campaign and seek corporate backers while in office. This is simply an excuse. Also unacceptable is the excuse that council members need time to learn how the system works, and by the time they do, they are campaigning again. If that is the case, then the system needs to change and said council members should call the process out and propose changes to correct this, or the wrong people are running and getting elected into office in the first place. Civil service in elected positions is not a career- terms should remain at two years. I support CA -9 which proposes use of the 2% Land Fund to pay for a full time staff person working dedicated to administering the 2% land fund program by acquiring property, obtaining matching funds, helping the public with suggestion forms and stewardship applications and the administration of the Maintenance Fund. As a voter who has supported the 2% land fund three times, this is an acceptable use of this fund, and alleviates the Department of Finance from having other staff/salaries assigned to complete these tasks that the voters have agreed they want the County to continue to perform. I vehemently oppose CA- 13 which allows the Mayor to declare an emergency and raid the 2% Land Fun. The Mayor and County Council have already allocated funds from the Budget Stabilization Fund and Disaster Relief Fund to balance the budget on multiple occasions. Fully fund the Disaster Relief Fund and leave the voter - supported 2% Land Fund alone - 63% of voters voted for the 2% Land Fund three times already! I also vehemently oppose CA -7 which proposes to gut the 2% Land Fund by reducing the fund to .75% of property taxes. In addition, CA -7 removes the Maintenance Fund from the Charter where it can and can be cut from the budget each year by both the Mayor and the Council. Most shocking is the proposal to remove the clause that protects land purchased in perpetuity. The people have voted for the 2% Land Fund for a reason, and that is to reserve and protect the land... in perpetuity! AOLE on CA -7 which provides a right for the County to sell land purchased. Land was aquired to specifically be held in perpetuit for the use and enjoyment of the people and should not be allowed to be sold, traded or transferred in any way, as originally proposed and voted upon by 63% of voters. Mahalo for your time and service. Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian Keaau, Hawaii "Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love." Rumi 1 Comm. No. 23.3