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COUNTY OF HAWAII <br />STATE OF HAWAII <br />BILL NO. 261 <br />Draft 2 <br />ORDINANCE NO. d6 84 <br />AN ORDINANCE TO INITIATE A CHARTER AMENDMENT TO SECTION 12 -2.1, <br />CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE XII, OF THE HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER (2000), <br />RELATING TO IMPEACHMENT OF ELECTED OFFICERS. <br />BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII: <br />SECTION 1. Purpose. Impeachment of an elected officer, or officer appointed to a <br />vacancy in any elected office, for malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance, or maladministration <br />in office is a serious charge brought by registered voters against the officer in the circuit court. <br />The number of registered voters required to bring forward a verified petition for impeachment <br />has remained at one hundred for over twenty -five years. In the ensuing years, the voting <br />population has increased throughout Hawaii County, and in 1990, the Hawaii County Charter <br />was amended to provide for the nine council members to be elected from single- member districts <br />rather than at- large. However, under current impeachment provisions, a council member could <br />be charged by one hundred voters who are not registered in the respective council member's <br />district and did not vote for the elected council member. The purpose of this charter amendment <br />is to raise the low threshold of registered voters required to bring the significant charges of <br />malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance, or maladministration against an elected officer or officer <br />appointed to a vacancy in any elected office. It also provides that only those voters who are <br />registered in the council district of the respective council member may bring such charges to the <br />circuit court when impeaching a district council member. <br />