HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 1984-051 1984-1988BILL NO. 1061
(Draft 2
COUNTY OF HAWAII - STATE OF HAWAII
ORDINANCE NO. 8`~ S 1
AN ORDINANCE TO INITIATE A CHARTER AMENDMENT REGARDING
THE COUNTY COUNCIL COMPOSITION AND ELECTIONS.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. An amendment to Section 3-2 of the County
Charter of the County of Hawaii is hereby initiated to read
as follows:
"Section 3-2. Composition and Terms. There shall be a
county council composed of nine members. One member shall
be elected by the qualified voters from each of the nine
council districts as established by the county
reapportionment commission. The terms of the council
members shall be four years and shall begin at 12:00 o'clock
meridian on the first Monday of December after their
election. The county primary and general elections for
council members under the first reapportionment plan shall
be held in 1988.
Candidates shall be nominated and elected in accordance
with the election laws of the state.
Section 3-2.1. Reapportionment and Reapportionment
Years.
(a) The year 1985 shall be the first reapportionment
year. Every eighth 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 nine members. The commission members,
no more than a majority of whom shall belong to
the same political party, shall be representative
of the various geographical areas of Puna, Ka'u,
Kona, Kohala, Hamakua, and Hilo and shall be
appointed by the council. If the council does not
appoint the commission members by the first day of
April of any reapportionment year, the members of
the commission shall be appointed by the mayor.
The commission shall elect its chairman £rom among
its members.
(c) Any vacancy in the commission shall be filled in
the same manner as for an original appointment.
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(d) No member of the commission shall be eligible to
become a candidate for election to the council in
the first election held under any reapportionment
plan adopted by the commission.
(e) The county clerk, under the direction of the
commission, shall furnish all necessary technical
and secretarial services. The council shall
appropriate funds to enable the commission to
carry out its duties, including the hiring of
necessary staff.
(f) The commission shall act by majority vote of its
membership and shall establish its own procedures,
except as may be provided for in this charter.
(g) The commission may apportion the district council
seats among the districts and redraw the district
lines where and when necessary according to law
based upon, but not necessarily limited to, the
most recent federal census. Zn effecting such
redistricting, the commission shall also be guided
by the following criteria:
(1) No district shall be so drawn as to unduly
favor a person, political faction, or special
interest group.
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(2) Districts, insofar as practicable, shall be
contiguous and compact.
(3) District lines shall, where possible, follow
permanent and easily recognized features, and
when practicable, shall coincide with census
tract boundaries.
(h) Not more than one hundred twenty days after the
commission is constituted, the commission shall
cause to be published in a newspaper of general
circulation in the county, a proposed
reapportionment plan prepared by the commission.
At least one public hearing shall be held in each
council district within forty-five days after
initial publication.
(i) Not later than the last day of September of the
reapportionment year, the commission shall publish
a final reapportionment plan in a newspaper of
general circulation in the county and shall file
such plan with the county clerk, at which time the
plan shall become effective. Members of the
commission shall hold office until the
reapportionment plan becomes effective.
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(j) Any registered voter may petition the circuit
court to compel, by mandamus or otherwise, the
appropriate person or persons to perform their
duty or to correct any error made in a
reapportionment plan, or the court may take such
other action to effectuate the purposes of this
section as it may deem appropriate. Any such
petition must be filed within thirty days after
the filing of a final reapportionment plan."
SECTION 2. On adoption of this ordinance, this
council, by appropriate resolution, shall provide that this
amendment be submitted to the electors of the county for
approval at the next general election.
Hilo, Hawaii
Date of Introduction:
Date of 1st Reading:
Date of 2nd Reading:
Date of 3rd Reading:
Effective Date:
August 15, 1984
August 15, 1984
August 22, 1984
August 29, 1984
September 5, 1984
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