A subdued and outwardly contrite Mayor Billy Kenoi came before the County Council on Wednesday to talk about the budget, but first on his plate was a serving of humble pie.
A subdued and outwardly contrite Mayor Billy Kenoi came before the County Council on Wednesday to talk about the budget, but first on his plate was a serving of humble pie.
“Aloha. To the Hawaii County Council, I’d like to first begin by apologizing to all of you for the mistakes I’ve made,” Kenoi said. “To the hard-working employees of the County of Hawaii, to the good people who call Hawaii Island home, to the many people who are deeply disappointed, I am truly sorry.”
It was Kenoi’s first appearance before the council since last month’s newspaper report revealing that he routinely used his county credit card, known as a pCard, for personal purchases ranging from bar tabs to surfboards, generally paying the county back within a few months of the charges.
Following the newspaper investigation, Kenoi released his pCard records and paid for a list of other charges going back as far as 2009. So far, he’s paid back $31,112.59 of the $129,580.73 he charged during his tenure. He said he cut up his pCard and his account has been revoked.
He’s now under investigation by the state attorney general and faces county ethics charges against him and his Finance Department director, Deanna Sako. She’s on the hot seat because officials in that department didn’t stop Kenoi from using his card for personal purposes.
“All our checks and balances failed,” said Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille, adding that she thinks the mayor has too much power.
“I’m not going to answer questions on pCards today,” said Sako. “I will answer questions on the budget.”
Kenoi has appeared before the council in various modes. Sometimes he’s the affable, back-slapping mayor cracking jokes as he introduces new nominees. Other times, the cranky, combative side of Kenoi shows, as it did during budget talks with former Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, or more recently, against Wille when she questioned his choice of a waste-to-energy incinerator for the county.
There was no combativeness to the mayor Wednesday.
Kenoi was there to open a three-day session on his $434.7 million spending plan. The operating budget, a 4.3 percent increase over last year, does not raise property taxes, although individual property owners may see increases if the value of their property rises. The increase is due primarily to union-negotiated pay hikes and federal and state mandates, county officials said.
Members of the public coming forward to testify were more likely to talk about the mayor’s pCard use than the budget itself. Several asked the county to be more open to the public’s questions and request for records.
“Don’t be afraid to give the information out to the public … not everyone’s out to stab you in the back,” said Puna resident Joyce Folena. “When the government is open and transparent and helpful, the public trusts the government.”
“When the trust of the public is breached, it’s very difficult to get it back,” said Richard Abbett of Ka‘u.
Puna resident Greg Smith also emphasized the trust issue.
“What the hell else is this guy cheating?” said Smith. “What the heck else is the mayor doing with our money and our public trust?”
“The mayor has too much power,” said Michelle Kerr, testifying from Waimea. “He’s proven to be a bully.”
Matt Binder of Waimea questioned why only one council member has spoken publicly about the mayor’s use of his pCard, even after it was revealed Kenoi used it at two hostess bars.
“I think the mayor has intimidated you into being followers,” said Binder. Of the 14 testifiers, two came to the mayor’s defense. Nancy Carr Smith, a member of the Waimea Community Association, had nothing but praise for Kenoi.
“Billy Kenoi has been a wonderful mayor,” Smith said. “He’s a good man with a great future ahead of him.”
Council members generally thanked the mayor for coming to the meeting and most lofted softball questions to him.
Hamakua Councilwoman Valerie Poindexter and Hilo Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi praised Kenoi for his work on improving county parks. Hilo Councilman Aaron Chung praised him for trimming tens of millions off a $400-plus million budget he inherited from former Mayor Harry Kim and carrying the county through the Great Recession.
Puna Councilman Danny Paleka voiced his support. South Kona/Ka‘u Councilwoman Maile David also said she supported the mayor, and praised his work for the county. David, rather than viewing the council as the appropriating body of the county, said she’d be coming to the mayor to ask for more money for her district.
“I don’t believe our role is adjudicators or triers of fact,” David said.
Council Chairman Dru Kanuha and Finance Committee Chairwoman Karen Eoff praised the public for coming out. Only Wille and Puna Councilman Greggor Ilagan suggested any difficulties.
“The public has concerns and it is my responsibility to address those concerns,” Ilagan said. “It is my responsibility to get all the facts.”
Ilagan said he will likely be introducing legislation to manage pCard use after the legislative auditor completes her audit of county pCards sometime in June.
Wille said she’s concerned about Kenoi trying to intimidate county employees and other officials. She said she’s willing to work with him if he’s willing to work with her.
“Take the bully out of Billy,” Wille said. “We all hear, kids grow up.”
The mayor next submits an amended budget May 5 that takes into account the certified property values. The council has until June 30, the last day of the fiscal year, to pass a budget or the mayor’s budget automatically goes into effect July 1.