Despite facing an unprecedented budget shortfall that will force "deep and painful" cuts, Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi has missed the deadline to appoint a panel tasked with suggesting how Hawaii County can save money.

The Cost of Government Commission "shall be appointed ... starting one year after the beginning of the term of the mayor," states the Charter amendment that 25,000 Big Island voters approved in 2000.

Kenoi took office Dec. 1, 2008. Before that, he worked for former Mayor Harry Kim, who was late in appointing both the inaugural commission in 2001 and the follow-up group in 2005.


The effort to recruit volunteers for the nine-member advisory panel started last month, Kenoi said on Thursday.

Each County Council member was asked to pick a candidate, he said.

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a representative from every district," Kenoi said.

The regional diversity is required by the Charter.

The recruitment effort was handled by Lincoln Ashida, the county's top civil attorney, who said only Hilo Councilman Donald Ikeda has responded.

"We would have liked to meet the deadline, but what are we going to do if we just don't have the applicants?" Ashida said. "We can't fill the commission if we don't have applicants."

So, Ashida said he's asked former members to serve on the new board, and three people have agreed.

"We're going to get it done not matter what," Ashida said, emphasizing the commission will receive the full 11 months to complete its work.

Kenoi noted he's been busy trying to staff community development planning efforts along with replacing numerous appointees whose terms on other boards and commissions will expire at year's end.

"We are asking a lot of people to serve on a lot of boards and a lot of commissions," Kenoi said.

The Cost of Government Commission is responsible for studying all county operations to determine ways they can be improved while also lowering costs.

The commission will "certainly provide valuable insight" that is "absolutely" needed, Kenoi said.

"We're willing to listen to all recommendations and suggestions," he said.

But the last commission's work, completed in January 2007, has had little or no impact on county operations.

"I don't recall any of our recommendations being implemented," said past Chairman Myles Miyasato.

Miyasato said he's convinced nearly every suggestion the panel offered had been made previously, analyzed and deemed not to be feasible.

"I can't see somebody from the outside (of government) having enough knowledge to have an impact," Miyasato said of the cost-cutting process. "That's a helluva task to expect."

Still, Ashida agreed the commission's input could be very helpful given the county's financial situation.

The county needs to overcome the $45 million budget shortfall Kenoi has predicted for the fiscal year starting next July 1. He said the budget gap could balloon to $100 million over a two-year period.

That will require the need to "transform government" to increase efficiency and "take steps we've never took before," Kenoi warned in a Sept. 14 statement.

He has received council approval to suspend payments for land purchases and to sell 737 acres of Paauilo properties.

More recently, Kenoi has convinced the Salary Commission to suspend 3 percent raises for himself and 30 top administrators. He's also seeking furloughs for county workers, asking for 20 percent spending cuts from all departments, and even considering proposing higher property tax rates.

Resolutions asking Kenoi not to hire any more employees for the remainder of the fiscal year, keep the savings from unfilled positions and to develop a plan for enticing certain workers to retire in order to reduce labor costs are all pending before the council.

People interested in volunteering to serve on the Cost of Government Commission should e-mail Ashida at lashida@co.hawaii.hi.us.