Elected corp counsel measure advances

A push to make corporation counsel an elected position took another step forward Wednesday, as County Council members made several amendments to the proposal and scheduled a public hearing.

Hawaii Island residents interested in weighing in on the measure will get the opportunity to do so during a May 14 public hearing, as well as at any subsequent council meetings when the measure is scheduled for a second and third reading in June.

Hilo Councilman Donald Ikeda asked for the public hearing, which will take place at 6 p.m. in the Hilo council chambers, with video teleconferencing available in Kona, Waimea and Puna, at the request of several constituents. The hearing will follow a 5 p.m. hearing on the county’s proposed real property tax rates, which Council Chairman Dominic Yagong said he does not anticipate being significantly different, based on the mayor’s initial budget proposal.

Council members spent most of their time on the bill making amendments, first from Hilo Councilman J Yoshimoto and then South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford. Amendments included requiring the person elected to the position and anyone selected to be the assistant corporation counsel to have at least six years of civil law experience, and requiring the charter amendment to go into effect for the 2014 election. That, Yoshimoto said, effectively staggers the corporation counsel’s and mayor’s four-year terms.

The council passed, on final reading, a $31 million bond authorization to upgrade the police radio system.

Ikeda said Sen. Daniel Inouye’s office was working to provide some federal reimbursement for the federally mandated project.

“The last time I talked to the senator, that’s the figure they were using,” Ikeda said. “They weren’t talking about the whole $31 million but they were comfortable with $29 million.”