HILO — Mayor Harry Kim claims to be a “pretty dull guy,” and his purchasing card and travel expenses seem to reflect he’s no social butterfly.
In contrast to his predecessor former Mayor Billy Kenoi, Kim spent an average $486 a month on travel for the first seven months of his administration, compared to Kenoi’s average $1,727 a month during most of his eight-year tenure.
Kim claimed $3,402 in pCard and travel expenses from December through June, according to records obtained by West Hawaii Today under the state Uniform Information Practices Act. His spending was eclipsed by two of his staff.
“I’m not one to travel,” Kim said. “I don’t care to travel. I’m always asking, ‘Can’t we do it by phone conference?’”
Kenoi, on the other hand, saw being an ambassador for the county as one of the jobs of mayor.
Kim’s major purchases included trips to Honolulu for an appearance on PBS Hawaii, the Hokulea homecoming ceremony, opening ceremony of the state Legislature and a statewide Office of Hawaiian Affairs meeting about his proposed Mauna Kea Peace Park.
He also met with Gov. David Ige and members of the Legislature on Big Island issues.
Managing Director Wil Okabe had the most pCard use, with his $9,135 spent primarily shuttling back and forth daily from Honolulu for collective bargaining sessions at Honolulu International Airport with other county and state officials. The union negotiations continued through January and February.
Kim said he asked Okabe to commute for the two- or three-hour meetings as much as possible in order to be in Hilo to manage staff. It’s not known whether hotels, rental cars and per diem food allowances would have cost more than the daily return trips.
Okabe also attended the Hawaii State Association of Counties conference on Kauai, noting in particular the statewide managing directors meeting there. He also went to Honolulu to testify before the state Board of Land and Natural Resources on Banyan Drive issues and represented the mayor at several press conferences with the governor.
Okabe also went to Honolulu to represent Hawaii County at a dinner reception for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Several times Okabe bought low-cost omiyage such as pizza and pastries for the Governor’s Office and he also paid for roast duck when it was Hawaii County’s turn to buy lunch at the bargaining sessions.
Executive Assistant Rose Bautista spent $4,977 primarily to attend a seminar on citizenship and immigration in New Orleans. Bautista, who headed the county immigration office for 15 years, said she wanted to go so the county could be prepared for new policies coming down from the President Donald Trump administration.
“It was very, very helpful, especially with all the issues coming up,” Bautista said. “With the new information, I am able to help allay fears of people coming to our office. People come here and they are very fearful.”
Bautista also traveled to Honolulu for an anniversary event at the Philippine Consulate and attended the Hawaii Women Lawyers annual banquet.
Kim’s public information officer, Janet Snyder, and Okabe’s private secretary, Martha Rodillas, went to Dallas to attend a government social media conference they said is the only one of its kind in the United States.
Snyder said sessions were led by presenters from the Central Intelligence Agency all the way down to local government. One of particular interest was by presenters from the Dallas police department on how to keep the public informed during a live shooter or other breaking news event, she said.
Snyder’s seven-month expenses came in at $3,328, and Rodillas claimed $2,993 for the same period.
“People expect social media from the government now. It’s not an option,” said Snyder, who didn’t have a Facebook page before joining the mayor’s staff. “Not a day goes by that we’re not using it.”
Kim said the expense was worth it.
“People have said I’ve got to get better in terms of communicating with the public,” he said. “The staff is expanding on that.”
Claiming only a small amount in travel expenses was Andy Levin, a former state legislator and Kim employee who held an 89-day contract to help lobby the Legislature. Levin claimed two day-trips to Honolulu to meet with legislative leaders and testify before committees. His expenses were $489.
The newspaper obtained the council’s and top administrators’ pCard statements as a followup to a 2015 breaking story by West Hawaii Today and further analysis conducted by its sister newspaper, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, that pinpointed questionable pCard spending.
The 2015 newspaper analyses ended with Kenoi indicted by a Hilo grand jury for using his pCard for personal expenses, including a large number of alcohol purchases. Kenoi was ultimately cleared of criminal charges but admitted misuse of his card in a settlement with the county Board of Ethics.
The newspapers’ work resulted in the county instituting a no-alcohol policy for pCards and other tightening of policies and procedures.