By NANCY COOK LAUER By NANCY COOK LAUER ADVERTISING Stephens Media A charter amendment to give the County Council more say in how taxpayer money is spent faces an uphill climb following a deadlock vote Wednesday by the council’s Finance
By NANCY COOK LAUER
Stephens Media
A charter amendment to give the County Council more say in how taxpayer money is spent faces an uphill climb following a deadlock vote Wednesday by the council’s Finance Committee.
The 4-4 vote sends the measure, Bill 249, to the council with a negative recommendation. It must be passed three times by the council with at least six positive votes before it can go to the November ballot.
The charter amendment would allow either the mayor or the council to initiate amendments to the county’s operating budget. The charter is currently silent on this issue, said Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann, the bill sponsor.
The amendment is about money, but what it basically boils down to is the balance of power. Under the county charter, the council is the policymaking body while the mayor is the administrator. The council proposes; the mayor disposes.
Hoffmann thinks that equation has room for amending the county budget during the year; not just after the budget is presented each year. He’d also like a mid-year budget review, so adjustments could be made as needed.
“To infer that we don’t have the authority to amend our own budget is ridiculous,” Hoffmann said.
Hoffmann, South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford, Ka‘u Councilwoman Brittany Smart and council Chairman Dominic Yagong of Hamakua were the positive voters. Voting no were Hilo Councilmen Donald Ikeda, J Yoshimoto and Dennis Onishi, along with Puna Councilman Fred Blas. North Kona Councilman Angel Pilago was absent.
“The legislative branch wants more control … but we had our turn,” said Onishi. “You folks want to get more power.”
“The mayor can make all these violations of separation of power, but the council can’t,” responded Ford. “That’s where we have to get rid of this autocracy.”
The measure drew opposition from both corporation counsel and the county Finance Department. The former had concerns about the separation of powers, the latter about the practical ramifications and the county’s bond rating.
Deputy Corporation Counsel Renee Schoen wrote a lengthy letter to the council about concerns with the bill. The office would not immediately provide Stephens Media a copy, but Schoen read a paragraph from page 6 saying there would likely be negative ramifications and “the severity is uncertain.”
The administration worries budgeting uncertainty would make bond rating agencies less comfortable backing county borrowing. The county’s bond rating is currently excellent, Finance Department head Nancy Crawford said. Losing a good bond rating could result in higher interest rates for future county borrowing, which could cost millions.
Hoffmann said the measure could have the opposite effect and strengthen the county’s bond rating by creating an opportunity for a mid-year budget review. He pointed to many municipal governments that have this setup, including the City and County of Honolulu.
“We would actually be strengthening our bond rating as many other municipalities have done,” Hoffmann said.
Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.
