Big Island Video News

Serving Hawaii County

  • Hawaiʻi Island News Regions
    • Hamakua
      • Mauna Kea
    • Hilo
    • Kau
    • Kona
    • Kohala
    • Puna



Video by David Corrigan

VIDEO: County Council Considers Ad Hoc Budget Committee
Avatar photo

by Big Island Video News
on Feb 21, 2018 at 1:20 am

Subscribe to Big Island Video News (FREE)

* indicates required

STORY SUMMARY

KEALAKEHE, Hawaii - Kohala councilman Tim Richards wants a subcommittee that can review and research the County of Hawai`i budget for FY 2018-2019, but others say it needs more sunshine.

(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi County Council spent a chunk of Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting in Kona talking over an idea for an “ad hoc committee” in anticipation of the coming budget process.

Kohala councilman Tim Richards brought forward the request in this communication:

I humbly request an appointment of an ‘ad hoc committee’ of the Hawaiʻi County Council for the purpose of reviewing, researching, and addressing various concerns and/or potential concerns relevant to the County of Hawaiʻi budget for FY 2018-2019. It is my opinion that an ad hoc committee would be beneficial to the Council and the County of Hawaiʻi as a whole, in allowing four(4) Council Members to work together in this Sunshine Law acceptable capacity, and provide its findings to the entire Council in efforts to offer suggested solutions toward a budget we can all be proud of going forward.

I am offering my availability to be one of the four (4) appointed Council Members to serve on this ad hoc committee, and additional am very willing to Chair the group as well.

Richards presented a detailed argument in favor of the subcommittee on Tuesday, but other councilmembers were concerned that the effort would remove the public from the equation.

“The bottom line for me is that you need to have public participation and open government,” said council chair Valerie Poindexter. “That’s why we have the Sunshine Law.”

“You know, we can brainstorm in public, even if it takes us hours and we run to midnight every night, or whatever it is,” Poindexter said. “But, you know, we just took a pay increase, too, so we should be willing to work those long hours. The public is paying us to do that.”

The council postponed taking any action on the request.


Filed Under: Video Report Tagged With: Hawaii County Council, Tim Richards

LATEST NEWS

Woman Cited For Taking Nēnē Gosling From Hilo Park

Organizations Selected For Funding To Address Homelessness

Kohala Blue Intros First Solar, Wind Powered Electric Sailboat In Hawaiʻi

Health Officials Say Certain Asian Sauces Sold In Hawai‘i Are Recalled

Police Identify Body Discovered On Shore By Hilo Bay

Federal Legislation To Fight Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Introduced

About Big Island Video News

  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Dynamik-Gen on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in