Anyone elected to the Honolulu City Council has won a large share of power — as one of only nine members — that directly affects quality of life on Oahu. Homelessness, the advance of the rail and redevelopment along the route, and changing trends in visitor-industry land use are among the issues that have drawn their attention.
There are also the core municipal concerns of directing growth and the upkeep of roads, parks and sewers that will confront the next Council cohort. Here are the Star-Advertiser’s choices in two runoff elections:
» District 4 (Hawaii Kai-Kaimuki-Waikiki): Trevor Ozawa and Tommy Waters are vying for the seat that Stanley Chang left for his unsuccessful congressional campaign. Although both candidates have strengths, Ozawa offers a fresh, independent voice, while being well-versed in constituents’ needs, and his election would best serve the voters.
He supports the immediate transitioning of homeless people into shelters that provide medical and housing assistance, stressing a "compassionate yet firm" approach. He also backs increased efforts to expand the city’s curbside recycling program.
Ozawa, 31, gained insight from his year serving as an aide to Chang, representing him at community meetings. He is married and a new father and has lived most of his life in the district, attending elementary school there before becoming a Kamehameha Schools graduate.
He is a real estate attorney who describes himself as a fiscal conservative, and his perspective on open government is welcome. Ozawa proposes posting a website for tracking constituent complaints and televising Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board meetings.
A late campaign negative that surfaced was a flyer sent to district residents that claimed Waters was a "carpetbagger" — someone not really from the district who moved there recently just to run for the office. It was linked to a political action committee separate from Ozawa, who has denounced it.
Waters moved to the district in the past year but does have family ties and personal history there. He served three terms in the state House as a Democrat representing the Lanikai-Waimanalo district, chairing the House Judiciary and Higher Education committees. He left the post for family reasons.
» District 6 (Makiki-Downtown-Kalihi Valley): Because the district encompasses this densely populated urban zone, homelessness, affordable housing and roadwork have dominated the political debate where Carol Fukunaga again facesSam Aiona. She defeated him in a special election in 2012, and deserves re-election.
Aiona, a former director of the state Office of Community Services, said his more passionate, hard-charging approach is needed to address the city’s problems.
He has a point. Fukunaga’s process-oriented approach reflects her long experience as a state legislator working on broad policy matters; a City Council member deals in the nuts and bolts of city services and represents a much larger constituency. Some passion is required.
But it’s not enough. Anyone who follows the Council has witnessed how raw antagonism between its members can lead to gridlock.
Fukunaga’s political experience and deep knowledge of the issues affecting her district, combined with her preference for collaboration, give her the edge. She noted some successes: securing $3 million in additional funds to provide shelter beds, street cleanup and outreach support for the homeless.
She also cites park improvements in Nuuanu, Aiea and Moanalua, and has advanced "complete streets" programs in Nuuanu and Liliha.
Looking ahead, she supports Housing First for the homeless and vows to advocate for affordable rentals along the rail transit line.
Fukunaga also pushed the Council to make public the city Corporation Counsel’s concerns over Bill 16, a legally questionable measure that would restrict hotel-to-condo conversions. Such information, usually treated as confidential under attorney-client privilege, should be made public by the Council as a matter of course. Fukunaga deserves credit for striking a blow for transparency.
