Posted on: Sunday, October 24, 2004

Four charter amendments up for vote

Advertiser Staff

O'ahu voters will be asked to vote on four proposed amendments to the City Charter.

For a charter amendment to pass, "yes" votes must exceed "no" votes. Blank and spoiled ballots are not counted.

Here are the questions and a brief discussion of each. Information was provided by the city clerk's office.

Question 1: "Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to: (1) Place the employee positions, other than the Executive Secretary position, for the Neighborhood Commission within the civil service system; and (2) Confer civil service status on the qualified incumbents occupying those employee positions without necessity of examination?"

This amendment would convert employees of the Neighborhood Commission, except for the executive secretary, from appointees who serve at the pleasure of the mayor to civil service employees.

The Neighborhood Commission supervises the county's neighborhood boards, which are citizen advisory bodies.

Question 2: "Shall the revised City Charter be amended to require at least five of the nine appointees of the Neighborhood Commission to have served at least one full term on a neighborhood board?"

Currently only one seat on the Neighborhood Commission must be filled by someone who has served on a neighborhood board. This amendment would increase that requirement to five of the nine members.

Question 3: "Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to authorize the appointment of a temporary replacement for a Councilmember who, as a member of the military reserve or guard, is called to active duty for a period in excess of 180 consecutive days out of the State of Hawaii?"

The City Charter does not have a provision on appointing a temporary replacement for a council member who is called to active military duty. This amendment would authorize a temporary fill-in if the council member will be out of state longer than 180 days.

Question 4: "Shall the Revised City Charter be amended as follows: (1) To specify that a charter commission be appointed after November 1 of every year ending in a '4,' but before the immediate following February 1; (2) To make an exception for the 2005 charter commission, which is intended to be appointed by December 1, 2004; and (3) To make conforming amendments?"

This amendment would require the city to appoint a charter commission every 10 years. Such commissions do comprehensive reviews of the city charter and recommend changes.