Opinion ID: 2506328
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The City's Ballot Question

Text: On August 20, 2008, Resolution No. 08-166, CD1, FD1 (Reso 08-166) passed third reading before the Honolulu City Council. Reso 08-166 provides in relevant part: WHEREAS, it has been reported by the news media that the Circuit Court of the First Circuit has ruled in favor of Stop Rail Now in Civil No. 08-1-1605-08(KKS), and has ordered the city clerk to file and process its initiative petition; and WHEREAS, the initiative petition of Stop Rail Now was filed with the city clerk on August 14, 2008 as Petition 53 (2008); and WHEREAS, the charter amendment proposed herein will be neither needed nor desirable if the ballot question posed in Stop Rail Now's Petition 53 (2008) (Petition 53 ballot question) is placed on the 2008 general election ballot for a vote by the electorate; and WHEREAS, the council wishes to place the charter amendment proposed herein on the 2008 general election ballot only if the ballot question posed in Petition 53 (2008) is not placed on the 2008 general election ballot; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City and County of Honolulu: 1. That it propose and it is hereby proposed that the following question be placed on the 2008 general election ballot; provided that if the ballot question posed in Petition 53 (2008), either in its original form or as it may be altered or restated pursuant to RCH Section 3-406, is included in the ballot language submitted by the city clerk to the chief election officer of the State of Hawaii pursuant to HRS Section 11-119(b), the following question shall not be placed on the ballot: Shall the powers, duties, and functions of the city, through its director of transportation services, include establishment of a steel wheel on steel rail transit system? On August 22, 2008, the Mayor of Honolulu approved Reso 08-166, pursuant to § 15-102(1) of the Charter. Under the terms of Reso 08-166, if Stop Rail's initiative question is not placed on the general election ballot, the Charter amendment question of Reso 08-166 will be placed on the general election ballot.