Complaints about conflicts of interests are a recurring theme at Honolulu Hale. It’s no secret that special interests — developers and labor unions in particular — work hard to get the mayor and the nine members of the City Council to support their projects. After all, Honolulu’s small handful of elected county officials wield enormous power over development on Oahu — more so than, say, a lonely member of the 76-seat Legislature.

The latest complaints come from Councilwoman Heidi Tsuneyoshi, who asked the Honolulu Ethics Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson.

Anderson, who represents much of Windward Oahu, left his job on Sept. 23, just a few months shy of completing his final term. In a letter to the city clerk, he said, “Together with my mom and dad, I kokua with my grandparents’ various needs and errands, and as such have arrived at the difficult decision to resign from the Honolulu City Council …”

The letter did not mention that he also had taken a job with Local Union 630, Plasterers and Cement Masons, which has an interest in the construction of the city’s rail transit system.

Tsuneyoshi complained that in the last few months, Anderson “took a very active role and voted in support” of measures providing funding for the rail project. His employment with Local 630, Tsuneyoshi said, “was not freely provided and not mentioned when specifically asked for future plans for employment.”

None of this proves that Anderson did anything wrong, or that there was some quid pro quo. Anderson was not the only Council member to support the rail project, and his years of service have not been tainted by major pay-for-play scandals.

Still, Tsuneyoshi’s complaints have a familiar ring, an uncomfortable reminder of past conflict-of-interest complaints involving Council members. Nestor Garcia and Romy Cachola both were fined by the Ethics Commission for accepting gifts from lobbyists, then voting on measures involving them without disclosing the conflicts. Similar complaints were filed against Anderson and current and former Council members, respectively, Ann Kobayashi and Donovan Dela Cruz, regarding their votes on rail measures. The commission later dropped those complaints.

After the Nov. 3 election, the Council will welcome five new members. In the interests of good government — one the public can trust — it would behoove them to take to heart the need for full transparency and disclosure, not only including but beyond what is required by law.