HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP FC 216 05/01/2012 2010-2012 REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
DATE: May 1, 2012 Re: Comm. No. 680/Bill 237
PLACE: Council Chambers
Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i
TIME: 8:01 a.m.
Council Chair and Members
Hawai`i County Council
Hilo, Hawai`i 96720
Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred Bill 237, reports as follows:
Bill 237, transmitted by Council Chairperson Dominic Yagong via Communication No. 680,
dated April 16, 2012, is a Bill for an Ordinance to Initiate an Amendment to the Hawai`i County
Charter(2010) by Amending Article X, Section 10-3 Relating to the Scope of the Operating
Budget.
The purpose of this charter amendment is to require that all new positions be created separately
from the budget process to allow for greater transparency and for the opportunity for public
discussion on increasing size of government. The current process allows new positions to be
created simply by inserting them into the proposed operating budget each year, and because of
this, they are sometimes overlooked and often times not discussed during the complex budgetary
process. This amendment will separate the discussion of creating new employment positions
from the discussion associated with the adoption of the annual operating budget.
Deputy Director Deanna Sako of the Finance Department appeared before Your Committee.
Ms. Sako commented that the current process is transparent to the public, and that Council has
the opportunity to amend proposed budgets. .
Several of Your Committee members commented: 1) the amount of money being spent on
significant government growth and difficulties on maintaining it; 2) this proposed charter
amendment will allow a separate process for public participation of whether they want an
increase in government; 3) the current budget review process will continue as in previous years;
4) improvements should be made on government efficiency utilizing technology etc.; 5) it is the
Council's responsibility to support public participation and transparency in government.
FC Report No. 216
FC - 216 Page 2 May 1, 2012
Your Committee on Finance is in accord with the purpose and intent of Bill 237, and
recommends its passage on first reading.
dkr
AYES NOES A&E EX Respectfully submitted,
BLAS X
FORD x COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
HOFFMANN X /f
ONISHI X 9C1r€L-'
PILAGO X
SMART x BRENDA FORD, CHAIR
YAGONG X FC REPORT NO. 216
YOSHIMOTO X ADOPTED: MAY 1 5 2012