LIHUE — The County Council on Thursday waded through details of changing to a council/mayor system of government that employs a county manager. “In this workshop, we will have as much dialogue with the community as possible,” said Council Chairman
LIHUE — The County Council on Thursday waded through details of changing to a council/mayor system of government that employs a county manager.
“In this workshop, we will have as much dialogue with the community as possible,” said Council Chairman Mel Rapozo said at the beginning of the meeting.
The purpose of the workshop was to provide the basic fundamental structure for a resolution that would have a chance of passing, Rapozo said. All of the decisions in the meeting are tentative and subject to change as the council goes through the process.
He said there are at least 64 necessary amendments to the Kauai County Charter that are required to change the government form.
The council agreed that what is needed to change the system is to put a brand new charter on the ballot instead of 64 separate amendments.
It was decided that the council, with a supermajority of five votes, would select the county manager.
The selection of the council and of the mayor would be done by electoral vote and there would be six council members and one mayor on the ballot. Everyone would eventually get a four-year term.
“In the first election after the charter, should it pass in 2018, the top three vote-getters would be elected to a four-year term and the bottom three to a two-year term,” Rapozo recapped. “The following election, everyone would be running for a four-year term.”
Yet to be hashed out are details like who would appoint department heads and commissioners, the exact duties of the mayor, budget items, and contracts.
Councilmembers took the best practice recommendations of the International City/County Management Association into account for their decisions.
As in the matter of who appoints department heads, the best practice is that the county manager, with the exception of the county attorney, appoints them.
The Charter Review Commission received a proposal about the county manager type of government in late October and the topic hasn’t been touched since then in their meetings because the County Council was working on the same item, according to Jay Furfaro, administrator of the county’s board of commissions.
The Charter Review Commission has discussed districting and plans to possibly make a decision in their next meeting, scheduled for Feb. 22.
“Pending is the proposal by the committee to chose between doing nothing and (a voting system of) 5 districts and 2 at large,” Parachini said.
Rapozo explained if the districting should pass, there would be a potential conflict in the council election, depending upon how it is set up.
“We just have to work with the commission as far as what we end up with and what they end up with,” said Councilman Kipukai Kuili’i. “If it’s something that’s different from them, I hope they’re deferring to us.”
The majority of the six or seven public speakers at the workshop were in support of the county/manager system and even those who didn’t support the idea shared their ideas.
Matt Bernabe said the county should “fix the things that aren’t consistent and the rules that aren’t being followed” right now, instead of just switching to a whole new form of government.
Bruce Hart had reservations about the new system as well.
“There’s another way to accomplish and overcome the frustration that I believe has led to this discussion,” Hart said. “The current system is workable. The council has tremendous power if you can work together.”
There will be another workshop to discuss the council manager and council/mayor form of government on March 3.
