KAILUA, KONA, Hawai'i — Fed up with what they see as inadequate government, some West Hawai'i residents are starting to call for control over their own side of the Big Island.

At a recent grass-roots meeting designed to gauge interest in a move to split the Big Island into two counties, 150 people showed up to voice their growing frustration with Mayor Harry Kim's administration and a Hilo-based County Council many believe are unresponsive.

The meeting of the fledgling Citizens for a Better Government group came less than a week after Kim, who has been floated as a possible gubernatorial candidate, told a West Hawai'i audience he was happy with the way his administration is addressing issues in the county.

Initiated by Susan McGeachy, a West Hawai'i resident for 18 years and a former bank executive, the three-hour meeting was orderly but pointed in its criticism of county government.

McGeachy said she was surprised by the high attendance and the level of frustration.

While some had specific complaints — lost building permits or lack of police response — others wanted immediate recall of the 11 elected county officials, including the nine council members, mayor and county prosecutor.

McGeachy, a longtime civic activist, said it appears the community may be ready to support radical options to get what it believes it deserves from local government.

"We're the little tumbleweed that's going to grow. This is the very beginning step of a very, very long ladder process," she said. "We are only looking for the ability to control what's happening in our own environment without driving two hours."

Splitting the county is an issue that arises from time to time in various forums.

McGeachy insists it would not require a doubling of services and government expenses as some suggest.

"The only thing we would be doubling would be the mayor. Everything else would be split," she said.

McGeachy said her research shows the county collects more than 70 percent of its revenue from West Hawai'i, but allocates less than 10 percent to improvements, services and new projects in the same region.

With a population of more than 160,000, the Big Island is the second largest population base in the state. The West Hawai'i region includes more than 60,000.