Finance Committee to Review pCard Bill Tuesday

A bill aiming to tighten up the rules regarding county officials’ use of public funds will be heard by the Hawai’i County Finance Committee Tuesday.

Bill 78 amends a part of the Hawai’i County Code relating to travel and other expenses. The amendment would add “no exception involving public funds shall be authorized without a public purpose,” to a portion of the bill relating to the mayor’s or council chairmans’ ability to make exceptions to certain purchases using public funds for travel and expenses.

The bill was previously postponed during a committee meeting for clarification purposes.

Puna Councilman Greggor Ilagan drafted the legislation after a recent report from Legislative Auditor Bonnie Nims found the Hawai’i County Mayor’s Office and another department may have misused the county purchasing cards, or pCards.

Nims told the County Finance Committee in August that the current policy did not clarify when there can be exceptions made regarding the use of public funds.

There is a motion by Ilagan and Councilman Daniel Paleka to recommend the passage of the bill after its first reading.