Why Windward Oahu and all of Hawaii is Short Changed on Representation.
District 3- Waimanalo, Kailua and Kaneohe, together the total about 115,000 people.
To compare representation let’s look at Douglas County Oregon which has approximately 107,000 people. Douglas County has a regular county structure (not City & County) which administrates roads, parks, law enforcement, planning and public works, etc. The county is overseen by a 3 person Board of Commissioners, and elected County Assessor, Auditor, County Clerk , Judge, Sheriff, Surveyor, Treasurer and Justice of the Peace.
Douglas County also has 12 incorporated municipalities.
A working definition of an incorporated municipality can look like the following:
Municipal corporations are an important feature of the political structure of the United States. Incorporating a municipality gives it the freedom to form a society that is distinct from other localities in the state and country. This idea of local control is the same concept that animates the constitutional division of the country into a collection of smaller states. By giving municipalities some autonomy, individuals are more capable of participating in politics and gaining a measure of control over their lives than if political activity occurred only on the federal and state level.
Promoting the Town of Kailua
One of the definitions seperating a town from a city is incorporation.
An incorporated municipality has taxing authority and the ability to enter into contract for city services such as roads and utilities. This gives residents a greater ability to protect their towns uniques characteristics and for government to deliver services better tailored to local requirements.
Kailua with its clearly defined borders and a unique island heritage would, in any other state, have its own municipal government.
There are over four thousand incorporated municipalities in the US of 10,000 – 100,000 people.
The reason Hawaii residence don’t have this ability is further explored in this post: Read More>>>
Kailua or any other part of Oahu should have the ability to incorporate if it makes sense to the local citizens.
Anything that furthers local ingenuity and problem solving would be of benefit to everyone throughout Hawaii.