LIHUE — The County of Kauai Charter Review Commission will consider five redistricting proposals next month, when its members will decide whether voters will take up the question during this year’s general election.
A report released by a special Charter Review Commission committee Monday suggested that the entire governing body reconsider its initial proposal to establish seven geographic districts and elect Kauai County Council members based on the district in which they both reside.
The committee, consisting of commissioners Patrick Stack, James “Jimmy” Nishida and Joel Guy, found that many residents who attended the three public meetings held last month on the proposal favored some sort redistricting proposal but not the one that commissioners created last year.
“We found the sentiment, collectively, to favor some type of districting, but not for all seven council seats,” the one-page report read. “Almost all of the testifiers wished to retain the right to select some of the candidates as ‘at-large.’”
The five redistricting proposals recommended by the commission included:
• Four at-large with three districts with one council member elected from each district using the state legislative districts;
• Three at-large with four districts with one council member from each district;
• Two at-large with five districts with one council member for each district;
• One at-large with three districts with two council members elected from each district;
• Or three districts with three council members elected to each state legislative district, which would increase the council to nine members.
Stack, who served as the chair of the special committee, also responded to several concerns about the public meetings process by saying that hosting any more than the three meetings would have convoluted the process and strained their volunteer efforts on the board.
“I think it would have been overkill and a waste of taxpayer money to do seven, 17 or 77 meetings,” Stack said.
The Charter Review Commission will discuss the five options at their March 24 public meeting and take public testimony.
If Charter Review commissioners approve a redistricting proposal, the measure will be taken up by county voters in November’s general election.
If a proposed ballot question is approved by voters, districts shall be apportioned by a reapportionment commission before the 2016 election cycle, when the first County Council elections by districts would take place, and every 10 years afterward.
• Darin Moriki, county government reporter, can be reached at 245-0428 or dmoriki@thegardenisland.com. Follow him on Twitter at @darinmoriki.
