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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 084 Draft 01 2012-2014 �JM`v o\H,1��, •,, ai COUNTY OF HAWAII : •:6 '—'=�.�/ • STATE OF HAWAII �rf OF•N'•� RESOLUTION NO. 84 13 A RESOLUTION URGING THE 2013 HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE TO ADDRESS THE SOLVENCY OF THE HAWAII ELECTION CAMPAIGN FUND, AND REQUESTING THE CAMPAIGN SPENDING COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT PUBLIC FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO CANDIDATES AT LEAST IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION. WHEREAS, the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund was created by the 1978 Constitutional Convention and ratified by voters that same year as Article II, Section 5 of the Hawai`i State Constitution; and WHEREAS, pursuant to this Constitutional amendment, the Hawai`i State Legislature was directed to "establish a campaign fund to be used for partial public financing of campaigns of the State and its political subdivisions," which was enacted by the 1979 legislature as a trust fund for that purpose; and WHEREAS, the primary revenue source of the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund is the three-dollar voluntary income tax check-off authorized by Section 235-102.5, subsection (a) of the Hawai`i Revised Statutes; and WHEREAS, inflation adjusted receipts from the income tax check-off declined significantly from $395,270 in Fiscal Year 1992 to $190,480 in Fiscal Year 2008, representing a drop in public support for the outdated and ineffective partial public election funding program, which dispensed only $6,335 in 2012; and WHEREAS, receipts from the state income tax check-offs to the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund have increased since the enactment of the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program from $190,480 in Fiscal Year 2008 to $223,380 in Fiscal Year 2011; and WHEREAS, the Hawaii County Council believes the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program has invigorated the intended purpose of the trust fund and buoyed public confidence in a viable alternative to a private campaign funding system, which is tainted by the widespread perception that private contributions influence elected officials and that politicians become obligated to those who donated to their campaigns; and WHEREAS, Senate Bill 381 SD2 provides needed amendments to address deficiencies in the funding formula of the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program, to average the funding amount to the amount of money spent by winning candidates in the last two election cycles across all County district races; and WHEREAS, even with these amendments, the 2014 election year of the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program is under threat of cancellation due to the ongoing insolvency and depletion of the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the 2013 Hawaii State Legislature is hereby urged to address the solvency of the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund by: (1) Appropriating general funds for the administration and payroll expenses of the Campaign Spending Commission; (2) Raising the dollar amount of the state income tax check-off to the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund and enact other revenue mechanisms to increase revenues to this fund; (3) Lowering the fund balance limit at which the Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program is rendered inoperative; (4) Allowing candidates the option to use public funding for the primary but not for the general election; and (5) Establishing a mechanism to allow for funding of primary elections only, if funds are insufficient to support both primary and general elections. 2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the event the Hawai`i Election Campaign Fund is inadequate to fund both the primary and general elections, the Campaign Spending Commission is requested, as authorized by Sectionl 1-422, subsection (c) of the Hawai`i Revised Statutes, to limit the operation of Hawai`i County Council Pilot Comprehensive Election Funding Program to the primary election only, as the preferable alternative to outright cancellation. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall forward copies of this resolution to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Chairperson of the Committee on Ways and Means, the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance, the Big Island Caucus, the introducers of Senate Bill 381, the House and Senate Conferees of Senate Bill 381 (as may be appointed), and the Executive Director of the Campaign Spending Commission. Dated at Hilo , Hawai`i, this 9th day of April , 2013. INTRODUCED BY: A,,,y C i CIL �1/ MBER, COUN OF HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE County of Hawai`i AYES NOES ABS EX Hilo, Hawaii EOFF X FORD X I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by ILAGAN X the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the KANUHA X County of Hawaii on April 9, 2013 KERN X ONISHI X ATTEST: POINDEXTER X WILLE X YOSHIMOTO X 8 1 0 0 Reference: C-187/Waived-GREDC ,OUNTY CLERK CHAIRPERSON & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO. 84 13 3