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REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON FINANCE <br /> DATE: May 1, 2012 Re: Comm. No. 680/Bill 237 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i <br /> TIME: 8:01 a.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawai`i County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 <br /> Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred Bill 237, reports as follows: <br /> Bill 237, transmitted by Council Chairperson Dominic Yagong via Communication No. 680, <br /> dated April 16, 2012, is a Bill for an Ordinance to Initiate an Amendment to the Hawai`i County <br /> Charter(2010) by Amending Article X, Section 10-3 Relating to the Scope of the Operating <br /> Budget. <br /> The purpose of this charter amendment is to require that all new positions be created separately <br /> from the budget process to allow for greater transparency and for the opportunity for public <br /> discussion on increasing size of government. The current process allows new positions to be <br /> created simply by inserting them into the proposed operating budget each year, and because of <br /> this, they are sometimes overlooked and often times not discussed during the complex budgetary <br /> process. This amendment will separate the discussion of creating new employment positions <br /> from the discussion associated with the adoption of the annual operating budget. <br /> Deputy Director Deanna Sako of the Finance Department appeared before Your Committee. <br /> Ms. Sako commented that the current process is transparent to the public, and that Council has <br /> the opportunity to amend proposed budgets. . <br /> Several of Your Committee members commented: 1) the amount of money being spent on <br /> significant government growth and difficulties on maintaining it; 2) this proposed charter <br /> amendment will allow a separate process for public participation of whether they want an <br /> increase in government; 3) the current budget review process will continue as in previous years; <br /> 4) improvements should be made on government efficiency utilizing technology etc.; 5) it is the <br /> Council's responsibility to support public participation and transparency in government. <br /> FC Report No. 216 <br />