State Sen. Jonathan Chun was a deputy Kaua’i County attorney in 1992 when a county charter amendment took effect, mandating the Planning Commission have at least two members each with working knowledge of business, environmental and labor concerns. He was
State Sen. Jonathan Chun was a deputy Kaua’i County attorney in 1992 when a
county charter amendment took effect, mandating the Planning Commission have at
least two members each with working knowledge of business, environmental and
labor concerns.
He was joined by others in opposing that proposal before it
was passed by voters.
Yesterday, voters defeated another charter amendment
that would have repealed the specific membership requirement.
Back in 1992,
Chun told the County Council there would be confusion “that if you have this
knowledge, do you represent that knowledge” as a commission member.
He
wrote an opinion after that charter change stating that, although the
commission members are required to have working knowledge of those certain
areas, they don’t necessarily have to vote along those lines.
“The second
point is, you don’t have any criteria” for saying who represents environmental,
business and labor interests, Chun said.
Further, the council can mold the
commission by approving or rejecting mayoral appointees to the commission, he
said.
Of a second charter amendment that passed yesterday — this one
allowing the council to conduct performance audits of county departments and
programs — Chun said, “I think there’s a valid point about an audit.
“What I think I’m more concerned about is, you might have the power to
audit, but what are you going to do with it?”
Chun said the council,
through its weekly meetings, has “the power to do the same kinds of things an
audit can do without calling it an audit.”
The state auditor is a more
necessary position because the Legislature only meets 60 days a year, so needs
someone to keep an eye on state departments, Chun said.
He said the council
should add an accountant to its staff rather than go through a charter change
to establish an audit procedure.
“I don’t have a problem asking for that
kind of information, but do you need a charter amendment to get it done? I
don’t think so,” Chun said. “Why are we going through this procedural stuff
where, as a practical matter, you can get the same information and answers?
“I just see this as another way of spending money, where it might not seem
necessary.”
Staff writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at 245-3681
(ext. 224) and pcurtis@pulitzer.net
