10-16-2018, 05:48 AM
From Debbie Hecht, Kona:
2% LAND FUND UNDER THREAT FROM Mayor HARRY KIM and the CHARTER COMMISSION (appointed by the Mayor)
-WHY IS THERE MORE THAN $19 million in the FUND?
-WHY IS THE COUNTY STOCKPILING THIS MONEY? Clue- they’ve proposed a cap on the fund. See below.
You HELP IS NEEDED!
Three things to HELP TO KEEP THE 2% LAND FUND OPERATING:
1- WATCH THIS FILM CLIP from the last Charter Commission Meeting ABOUT WHAT IS AT STAKE: http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2018/1...ommission/
2- SHOW UP at the CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING TO TESTIFY, NOVEMBER 9TH AT 1:30 at the KONA COUNCIL CHAMBERS (or testify from other Council offices) to tell the CHARTER COMMISSION to LEAVE THE LAND FUND ALONE.
3- Send an EMAIL TO THE CHARTER COMMISSION tell them to leave the 2% Land Fund alone.
Please send an EMAIL addressed TO THE CHARTER COMMISSION, the County Council and Mayor Kim.
Subject line: Leave the 2% Land Fund alone.
Cut and paste these addresses:
Charter.commission@hawaiicounty.gov, valerie.poindexter@hawaiicounty.gov, aaron.chung@hawaiicounty.gov, sue.leeloy@hawaiicounty.gov, eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov, jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov, maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov, dru.kanuha@hawaiicounty.gov, karen.eoff@hawaiicounty.gov, tim.richards@hawaiicounty.gov, Harry.kim@hawaiicounty.gov
Please tell the commissioners, Council Members and the Mayor, or you can cut and paste or send your own message:
LEAVE THE 2% LAND FUND ALONE.
3 TIMES WE VOTED by 63% FOR THE LAND FUND. There is much work to do- only 12 properties out of 166 of properties proposed by citizens has been acquired THIS IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
Mahalo!
As of September 2018 there is more than $19 million in the fund. WHY IS THE COUNTY STOCKPILING THIS MONEY? http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1...Page1.aspx BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PUT A CAP ON THE FUND. SEE BELOW.
In the film clip, Harry Kim says: He wants to reduce the amount in the land fund or use it for maintenance of all of the County Parks. He doesn't like that he can't sell the land to the Federal Government or the State. THESE ARE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THE 2% LAND FUND. These changes WILL GUT THE FUND and the money will go into the general fund to be lost for land conservation forever.
My opinion: Although Harry says he supports land conservation, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!
Three Times voters have approved the Land Fund by 63%. The will of the people should be honored.
The great gift of the Land Fund is the ability to get matching funds. Neither administration since 2006 have use this to obtain dollar for dollar matching funds.
The Charter Commission is a skewed process. The Mayor appoints the commissioners. They do not represent the demographics of the people. Mayor Kim says that he wanted a study of the issue and an Ad Hoc committee was formed to study the same issues that were studied at the last Charter Commission 10 years ago.
Please remember that Brenda Ford and I wrote this ordinance so that THESE LANDS PURCHASED WITH OUR PROPERTY TAX MONEY WOULD BE HELD FOREVER FOR THE USE AND ENJOYMENT FOR THE CITIZENS OF HAWAII COUNTY.
This is important, because these lands could be sold and the money deposited in the General Fund and lost for land conservation forever. So that money would be set aside to care and maintain these lands forever for our use and enjoyment. Remember the Mayor appointed the Charter Commissioners.
These lands can be managed by the Maintanence Fund if the county would approve the grants applied for by the non-profits. OR The County could apply to the Federal and State governments for grants or assistance to manage and/ or maintain these properties. This is commonly achieved by a MOU.
WHY I AM ALARMED and WHY THEY WANT A CAP ON THE FUND: The Following is FROM THE CHARTER COMMISSION’S AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORT ad hoc committee members were divided on whether or not there should be a cap on the PONC fund. THE FULL AC HOC COMMITTEE ON THE 2% FUND REPORT IS AVAILABLE HERE: http://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/...page1/aspx
They provided two options: MY OPINION? NOT SURE WHAT THIS MEANS OR HOW THIS WOULD WORK?
Option 1.
Three of the members endorsed a cap on the fund in an amount equivalent to 2% of the annual real property tax revenues per year. Appropriations in excess of this amount would be returned to the County’s general fund. Linking this cap to annual real property tax revenues would assure that the balance in this fund would reflect the state of the County’s economy.
Option 2:
One committee member recommended providing for the option of reducing the appropriation either when the combined balance of the preservation and maintenance funds exceeds 2% of the annual real property tax revenue of the fiscal year or during times of fiscal crisis. This would eliminate the need for a cap. This recommendation is incorporated in the proposed revision to sections 10-15 and 10-16 contained in topic no. 5, on pages 11 and 12
THE CHARTER COMMISSIONERS ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS. If you believe in the 2% Land Fund, please talk to them or send them an email and tell them how you feel. The charter commissioners are: William Carthage Bergin, Michelle Galimba, Paul K. Hamano, Kevin D. Hopkins, Bobby Jean Leithead Todd, Sarah H. Rice, Christopher John Imiloa Roehrig, Marcia A.K. Saquing, Donna Mae Springer, Douglass Shipman Adams, Chairperson Jennifer Zelko-Schlueter, Vice Chairperson
--
Debbie Hecht
(808) 989-3222
Website: Ramblings, Thoughts and Theories: www.debbiehecht.com
2% LAND FUND UNDER THREAT FROM Mayor HARRY KIM and the CHARTER COMMISSION (appointed by the Mayor)
-WHY IS THERE MORE THAN $19 million in the FUND?
-WHY IS THE COUNTY STOCKPILING THIS MONEY? Clue- they’ve proposed a cap on the fund. See below.
You HELP IS NEEDED!
Three things to HELP TO KEEP THE 2% LAND FUND OPERATING:
1- WATCH THIS FILM CLIP from the last Charter Commission Meeting ABOUT WHAT IS AT STAKE: http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2018/1...ommission/
2- SHOW UP at the CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING TO TESTIFY, NOVEMBER 9TH AT 1:30 at the KONA COUNCIL CHAMBERS (or testify from other Council offices) to tell the CHARTER COMMISSION to LEAVE THE LAND FUND ALONE.
3- Send an EMAIL TO THE CHARTER COMMISSION tell them to leave the 2% Land Fund alone.
Please send an EMAIL addressed TO THE CHARTER COMMISSION, the County Council and Mayor Kim.
Subject line: Leave the 2% Land Fund alone.
Cut and paste these addresses:
Charter.commission@hawaiicounty.gov, valerie.poindexter@hawaiicounty.gov, aaron.chung@hawaiicounty.gov, sue.leeloy@hawaiicounty.gov, eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov, jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov, maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov, dru.kanuha@hawaiicounty.gov, karen.eoff@hawaiicounty.gov, tim.richards@hawaiicounty.gov, Harry.kim@hawaiicounty.gov
Please tell the commissioners, Council Members and the Mayor, or you can cut and paste or send your own message:
LEAVE THE 2% LAND FUND ALONE.
3 TIMES WE VOTED by 63% FOR THE LAND FUND. There is much work to do- only 12 properties out of 166 of properties proposed by citizens has been acquired THIS IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
Mahalo!
As of September 2018 there is more than $19 million in the fund. WHY IS THE COUNTY STOCKPILING THIS MONEY? http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1...Page1.aspx BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PUT A CAP ON THE FUND. SEE BELOW.
In the film clip, Harry Kim says: He wants to reduce the amount in the land fund or use it for maintenance of all of the County Parks. He doesn't like that he can't sell the land to the Federal Government or the State. THESE ARE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THE 2% LAND FUND. These changes WILL GUT THE FUND and the money will go into the general fund to be lost for land conservation forever.
My opinion: Although Harry says he supports land conservation, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!
Three Times voters have approved the Land Fund by 63%. The will of the people should be honored.
The great gift of the Land Fund is the ability to get matching funds. Neither administration since 2006 have use this to obtain dollar for dollar matching funds.
The Charter Commission is a skewed process. The Mayor appoints the commissioners. They do not represent the demographics of the people. Mayor Kim says that he wanted a study of the issue and an Ad Hoc committee was formed to study the same issues that were studied at the last Charter Commission 10 years ago.
Please remember that Brenda Ford and I wrote this ordinance so that THESE LANDS PURCHASED WITH OUR PROPERTY TAX MONEY WOULD BE HELD FOREVER FOR THE USE AND ENJOYMENT FOR THE CITIZENS OF HAWAII COUNTY.
This is important, because these lands could be sold and the money deposited in the General Fund and lost for land conservation forever. So that money would be set aside to care and maintain these lands forever for our use and enjoyment. Remember the Mayor appointed the Charter Commissioners.
These lands can be managed by the Maintanence Fund if the county would approve the grants applied for by the non-profits. OR The County could apply to the Federal and State governments for grants or assistance to manage and/ or maintain these properties. This is commonly achieved by a MOU.
WHY I AM ALARMED and WHY THEY WANT A CAP ON THE FUND: The Following is FROM THE CHARTER COMMISSION’S AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORT ad hoc committee members were divided on whether or not there should be a cap on the PONC fund. THE FULL AC HOC COMMITTEE ON THE 2% FUND REPORT IS AVAILABLE HERE: http://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/...page1/aspx
They provided two options: MY OPINION? NOT SURE WHAT THIS MEANS OR HOW THIS WOULD WORK?
Option 1.
Three of the members endorsed a cap on the fund in an amount equivalent to 2% of the annual real property tax revenues per year. Appropriations in excess of this amount would be returned to the County’s general fund. Linking this cap to annual real property tax revenues would assure that the balance in this fund would reflect the state of the County’s economy.
Option 2:
One committee member recommended providing for the option of reducing the appropriation either when the combined balance of the preservation and maintenance funds exceeds 2% of the annual real property tax revenue of the fiscal year or during times of fiscal crisis. This would eliminate the need for a cap. This recommendation is incorporated in the proposed revision to sections 10-15 and 10-16 contained in topic no. 5, on pages 11 and 12
THE CHARTER COMMISSIONERS ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS. If you believe in the 2% Land Fund, please talk to them or send them an email and tell them how you feel. The charter commissioners are: William Carthage Bergin, Michelle Galimba, Paul K. Hamano, Kevin D. Hopkins, Bobby Jean Leithead Todd, Sarah H. Rice, Christopher John Imiloa Roehrig, Marcia A.K. Saquing, Donna Mae Springer, Douglass Shipman Adams, Chairperson Jennifer Zelko-Schlueter, Vice Chairperson
--
Debbie Hecht
(808) 989-3222
Website: Ramblings, Thoughts and Theories: www.debbiehecht.com
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator