The majority of Hilo residents live in Hawaii County Council Districts 2 and 3.

The majority of Hilo residents live in Hawaii County Council Districts 2 and 3.

Both districts have incumbents seeking reelection — Jennifer Kagiwada in District 2 and Dennis Onishi in District 3. Both have contested nonpartisan primary races on Saturday, Aug. 8.

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Kagiwada, who is seeking her third term in office, was an aide to District 1 Council member Heather Kimball prior to being elected to her seat in 2022. She faces four challengers in the primary: Blaine Bautista, Wendy Botelho, JoNelle Fukushima and William Halversen.

Onishi, who served on the council between 2008 and 2016, is a former council chair. Having returned to the council in 2024, he is currently its vice chair. He faces a primary challenge from Kelton Chang.

The Tribune-Herald sent brief questionnaires to all candidates in both races. Their replies — edited for brevity and clarity — are below, listed alphabetically.

County Council
District 2

Name: Blaine Bautista

Age: 46

Occupation: IT specialist

I believe the single biggest issue facing Hawaii County is affordability. Can we still afford to live here? And who do we want to be able to call Hawaii Island home?

I want the answer to be our local families, our kupuna, our teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, county and state employees, and the next generation who grew up here and want to raise their own families here. Too many people are working full-time yet still struggle to afford housing, groceries, childcare and other basic necessities. Too many of our young people are leaving, because they don’t see a future they can afford.

While the county can’t solve inflation on its own, we can make a real difference. We can increase the supply of workforce and affordable housing, streamline permitting to reduce unnecessary costs and delays, support infrastructure that encourages responsible development, provide property tax relief for owner-occupied homes and longtime residents, and continue investing in workforce development so residents have access to good-paying jobs.

For me, affordability isn’t just about dollars and cents, it’s about preserving our families and our community. I want Hawaii Island to remain a place where the people who were born here, work here, and contribute to our community can continue to live and strive here. If we don’t address affordability today, we risk becoming a place where only those with significant financial means can afford to stay. That is not the future I want for Hawaii Island.

• • •

Name: Wendy Botelho

Age: 57

Occupation: president/CEO of Island of Hawaii YMCA

The single most important issue facing Hawaii County is keeping our communities safe, strong and affordable for the families who call this island home. Many of the challenges we face — including housing, infrastructure, public safety, homelessness and economic opportunity — are interconnected. We cannot solve them in isolation. We need leadership that brings people together, listens to the community, and follows through with action.

If elected as a County Council member, I will focus on practical, community-driven solutions. That means supporting responsible housing initiatives, improving roads and parks, strengthening partnerships with law enforcement and service providers, and ensuring county resources are spent efficiently and transparently. We must also support local businesses and create an environment where working families can afford to stay and thrive here.

• • •

Name: JoNelle Fukushima

Age: 57

Occupation: safety director of Kenworth Hawaii, Deluz Trucking and Gravel, and Kohala Coast Concrete; operates karate dojo

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The most important issue facing Hawaii County is that everyday people don’t feel like county government is truly working for them anymore. That is exactly why voter turnout is so low. I grew up here in Hilo, when downtown was thriving and full of our culture, and relationships and pride meant we took care of our own. We had very few people living on the street, and when someone was struggling, the community and local businesses stepped up to help. We knew all our unhoused neighbors by name.

Today, that sense of responsibility has been weakened by systems that are slow, unresponsive and too often ignore the struggles of regular residents and small businesses.

If I’m elected, my focus will be making the county answerable to the community again. Practically, that means getting permitting timelines under control so our local businesses can survive and grow; updating and enforcing fire and blight ordinances so downtown is safe, clean and welcoming; and pushing for more affordable housing and better support for people who are unhoused or living with mental illness, instead of pretending those problems will fix themselves.

• • •

Name: William Halversen

Age: 68

Occupation: retired drywall hanger

My goal is to lower the cost of electricity by setting up solar panels at no cost to the owner of the property.

• • •

Name: Jennifer Kagiwada

Age: 61

Occupation: full-time council member

The biggest issue facing Hawaii County is a combination of huge infrastructure needs (wastewater, roads, parks, police, fire, etc.) because we are such a large island with a relatively small tax base. Unlike the other counties which are more compact and have higher value properties and wealthier residents, we must look for additional, creative ways to fund our necessary county projects and services.

I have been working for the past couple years to create a “Residents First Real Property Tax Structure” that brings in more revenue from nonresident occupied properties. First, I proposed and the council passed a Long-Term Rental Tax Class that rewards property owners who rent to residents with a lower tax rate. Second, I co-introduced a Third Tier for our Residential Tax Classes, identifying vacation and investment properties valued over $4 million. With these two new structures in place, the council was able to pass significantly higher tax rates for these nonresident classes while at the same time lowering rates for homeowners and long-term rentals. This new revenue stream will lessen the financial burden of the mandatory wastewater projects and necessary services on our working families.

I will continue to work on solutions like these that support our island residents.

County Council
District 3

Name: Kelton Chang

Age: 52

Occupation: branch Manager of Ace Auto Glass

Homelessness is one of the most difficult issues facing Hilo and Hawaii Island. There is no single solution, and we must balance compassion with accountability. We need to increase affordable housing, strengthen mental health and addiction treatment, and support organizations that help people transition from the streets into stable housing. At the same time, we must ensure our parks, sidewalks, and public spaces remain safe and accessible for everyone. Taxpayer dollars should be spent wisely, with clear results and accountability. By working together with community organizations, law enforcement, healthcare providers and residents, we can reduce homelessness while treating every individual with dignity and respect.

• • •

Name: Dennis Onishi

Age: 65

Occupation: full-time council member

The most important issue is our county’s mandated wastewater facilities and force main sewers. With the projected cost to complete all the necessary mandates by the federal government, Hawaii County is looking to spend over a billion dollars of loans, surpluses grants and funding from our state and federal legislators. In 2028, it will cost Hawaii County over $200 million, and in 2029, it will cost Hawaii County another $200 million. For the Hilo wastewater facility, the project is to bring the facility up to federal standards. Because of the lack of upgrades during the past administrations, we need to pay for it now.

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Email John Burnett at [email protected].