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Calendar - November 1867
President's Page (Mary George)
One Hundred Ninety-Six Paid Members
November Ethics Units
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
That Xmas Card List (Betty Tobiasson)
Would You Believe - No Income Tax!!! ?? (Lucille Mundy)
Speedy Service - Get Your Prospect on the Roster
Preview of Things to Come - Charter Amendment
Mass Transportation on Oahu
New Members
Balanced Program

Preview of Things to Come

POINTS TO PONDER + December Unit on Charter Amendment

The Commission that wrote the Honolulu Charter issued a statement at the time which said "It is the belief of the Charter Commission that both the Council and the voters of the city, should be able to propose amendment to the Charter. It is felt, however, that voter initiated amendments should be presented to the Council for concurrence rather than placed on the ballot directly to assure the necessary debates on the subject and to provide the opportunity to make necessary technical changes in the proposals. The voters of the city will have the final authority to decide whether any amendment will be adopted."

Dr. Charlton F. Chute of the Institute of Public Administration was hired by the Charter Commission as a consultant during the time the Charter was being written. On charter amendment he told the Commission the following: "People are usually alarmed by amendment provisions fearing that they will be used to excess, but by and large American experience shows that charters are seldom amended. Probably they should be amended more often. In the last analysis, the amendment provisions are most important if the charter is to be flexible and have within it a workable means for its own modernization. Usually the amendment process is made too difficult."

You will recall from October units that there are four methods for amending the Honolulu Charter:

  1. 2/3 of the City Council proposes amendment

  2. Petitions signed by 10% or the voters and approved by a majority (5) of the City Council;

  3. The Charter Review Commission to be appointed every 16 years

  4. By Act of the State Legislature

When any of the first three methods are used, the proposed amendment must go on the ballot for the voters of Honolulu to approve or disapprove. When the State Legislature amends the Charter, the voters have no voice.

Since the Charter was adopted in 1959, it has been amended as follows: once by method #1; never by method, #2; the first Charter Review Commission will be appointed in 1975 - #3; and several times by method #4.

Review the statements made by Dr. Chute and the Charter Commission on amendment procedures. Has the criteria suggested by Dr. Chute been met? Has the goal of the Charter Commission been met in the last eight, years? We will be discussing these questions and others in the December Unit.

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