Following months of controversy hanging over Mayor Billy Kenoi, Hawaii island officials expressed shock and dismay that the hammer finally came down Wednesday.

“It’s a very difficult time for a lot of people,” former Mayor Harry Kim said. “Regardless of where you are on the political fence, it’s a sad time.”

A Hawaii island grand jury on Wednesday indicted Kenoi on two counts of felony theft and six other misdemeanor counts in connection to the use of his county credit card.

Kim said that while the indictment is unfortunate, it’s about time the case moved forward.

“A lot people are wondering, ‘How did we get here? Why did this happen?’” he said.

Kim, who is running for mayor in part to “bring trust to government,” declined to criticize Kenoi, saying the legal process should play itself out. Kim lost to Kenoi in the last mayoral election. Kenoi also served as an executive assistant when Kim was mayor.

Councilwoman Margaret Wille said she was in shock and wants time to fully analyze how the full County Council should respond in the coming weeks.

Wille, the Council’s most outspoken critic of Kenoi’s conduct, said she was disappointed that neither the county Board of Ethics, the County Council nor the county prosecutor took proactive measures to investigate or reprimand the mayor.

“I’ve been really angry there has not been any accountability,” she said. “It’s a sad day but at least there’s some action. A lot of people were worried this would get dismissed, and there would no accountability at all.”

A Kapaau resident pushing the Board of Ethics to demand the mayor’s resignation took no pleasure in Wednesday’s grand jury indictment.

“I can’t say it was unexpected but it’s still a sad day for the people of Hawaii that the mayor of a major county should get indicted,” said Lanric Hyland, a retired jails administrator from northern California. “Having said that, I’m glad that the path to justice is moving forward.”

Hyland said he hoped the indictment would help restore the confidence of the people of Hawaii island in their county government.

Hilo attorney Kenneth Goodenow, Board of Ethics vice chairman, said he stands by the panel’s decision to hold off investigating the mayor.

“It was best to step back — and I’m glad we did,” he said.

Goodenow said a Hawaii County investigation potentially could have hindered the state’s prosecution.

“If he’s convicted, the matter is resolved. If not, there is still an administrative review we could do,” he said.

But Todd Belt, University of Hawaii-Hilo political science professor, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the legal proceedings outlasted Kenoi’s mayoral term.

Belt said Kenoi is a fighter and he would fully expect that he will fight this.

“There’s an old saying in the legal community that you can indict a ham sandwich. It’s much more difficult to get a conviction,” he said.

The gravity of the indictment is a shock to the community, Belt said, but the electorate is a forgiving one, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the mayor took some time off after it’s all over and re-emerged to make a political comeback.

Former county Managing Director Wally Lau declined to pass judgment on Kenoi, saying the mayor is owed due process.

“It’s now in the hands of the courts,” he said.

Lau, who is running for mayor, added that his personal pCard was audited, and he came out clean.

Another candidate for mayor, former Councilman Pete Hoffman said: “I’m sorry the county is being put through this, and I’m embarrassed for Mayor Kenoi and the hardworking people who work in his administration.”

Star-Advertiser reporter Dan Nakaso contributed to this report.