HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0029.23 - Testimony - CA-13 - Use of Special Funds in Times of Declared EmergencyFrom: Tanya Anne <taynessazian@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2019 11:53 AM
To: Charter Commission
Cc: Tanya Aynessazian
Subject: Charter Amendment Oppositions and Support
Aloha,
My name is Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian and I reside in Keaau.
I oppose CA -8 to change council members' terms from two to four years. If council members did what the majority of
their constituents wanted, there would be no need to fundraise, campaign and seek corporate backers while in office.
This is simply an excuse. Also unacceptable is the excuse that council members need time to learn how the system
works, and by the time they do, they are campaigning again. If that is the case, then the system needs to change and
said council members should call the process out and propose changes to correct this, or the wrong people are running
and getting elected into office in the first place. Civil service in elected positions is not a career- terms should remain at
two years.
I support CA -9 which proposes use of the 2% Land Fund to pay for a full time staff person working dedicated to
administering the 2% land fund program by acquiring property, obtaining matching funds, helping the public with
suggestion forms and stewardship applications and the administration of the Maintenance Fund. As a voter who has
supported the 2% land fund three times, this is an acceptable use of this fund, and alleviates the Department of
Finance from having other staff/salaries assigned to complete these tasks that the voters have agreed they want the
County to continue to perform.
I vehemently oppose CA- 13 which allows the Mayor to declare an emergency and raid the 2% Land Fun. The
Mayor and County Council have already allocated funds from the Budget Stabilization Fund and Disaster Relief
Fund to balance the budget on multiple occasions. Fully fund the Disaster Relief Fund and leave the voter -
supported 2% Land Fund alone - 63% of voters voted for the 2% Land Fund three times already!
I also vehemently oppose CA -7 which proposes to gut the 2% Land Fund by reducing the fund to .75% of property
taxes. In addition, CA -7 removes the Maintenance Fund from the Charter where it can and can be cut from the
budget each year by both the Mayor and the Council. Most shocking is the proposal to remove the clause that
protects land purchased in perpetuity. The people have voted for the 2% Land Fund for a reason, and that is to
reserve and protect the land... in perpetuity! AOLE on CA -7 which provides a right for the County to sell land
purchased. Land was aquired to specifically be held in perpetuit for the use and enjoyment of the people and should
not be allowed to be sold, traded or transferred in any way, as originally proposed and voted upon by 63% of voters.
Mahalo for your time and service.
Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian
Keaau, Hawaii
"Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love." Rumi
1 Comm. No. 29.23