{"id":177,"date":"2026-05-20T10:05:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=177"},"modified":"2026-05-20T10:05:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:05:51","slug":"council-bill-would-weaken-powers-of-the-mayors-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=177","title":{"rendered":"Council bill would weaken powers of the mayor\u2019s office"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Hawaii County Council committee narrowly approved a bill Tuesday that would transfer many of the executive powers vested in the office of the mayor to a newly created \u201ccounty manager\u201d position.<\/p>\n

Read more Three killed Friday in two traffic collisions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A Hawaii County Council committee narrowly approved a bill Tuesday that would transfer many of the executive powers vested in the office of the mayor to a newly created \u201ccounty manager\u201d position.<\/p>\n

The Committee on Governmental Operations and External Affairs voted 5-4 to send to the full council with a favorable recommendation Bill 158, which would change the county\u2019s government to a \u201chybrid council-manager system\u201d where certain departments and operations would be overseen by this appointed county manager.<\/p>\n

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Council members James Hustace, Ashley Kierkiewicz, Holeka Inaba and Dennis \u201cFresh\u201d Onishi all cast \u201cno\u201d votes.<\/p>\n

Under the proposed measure, the county manager would replace the role of managing director and serve as the county\u2019s chief executive officer in place of the mayor for a six-year term. The mayor and County Council acting together would appoint candidates to this new position, which would be responsible for administering operations, overseeing department leadership and preparing county budgets.<\/p>\n

Removing a serving county manager without a request from the mayor would require a two-thirds vote of the council. If the removal came at the request of the mayor, the council would only need a simple majority to proceed.<\/p>\n

The mayor would be converted into the \u201cchief elected official\u201d and retain the power to veto bills, appoint certain department heads and lead intergovernmental relations.<\/p>\n

Heads of several critical government bodies would be appointed by the county manager, including the directors of Public Works, Environmental Management, Finance and Information Technology. The manager would also appoint members of the Office of Corporation Counsel, and have control of the Hawaii Police Department, Department of Liquor Control and Department of Water Supply.<\/p>\n

In a prepared statement sent just after the vote, Mayor Kimo Alameda pushed back on the bill, saying that it would vastly diminish the role of mayor, in addition to compromising the county\u2019s balance of powers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very concerned about this bill and its impact on our county,\u201d Alameda said. \u201cLocal government is most effective when you have strong leadership in the executive (mayor) and legislative (County Council) branches. However, this bill would almost eliminate the role of the mayor as well as important checks and balances that are the foundation of good governance.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also raised concerns that under this new system, the county manager could collude with a handful of council members in order to gain a monopoly on governmental power.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy placing executive power in the hands of an unelected person, this bill would make government less democratic and responsive to the people\u2019s needs,\u201d he said. \u201cI am also concerned that this system could allow one group of council members to effectively control the county through the county manager. As a result, certain districts could be favored over others, and we would lose the important focus on building geographic equity and uplifting our entire island. It\u2019s not clear how this proposal would move our county forward and I believe the negative consequences for the public would be significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The legislation was introduced by Hamakua Councilwoman Heather Kimball, who described the bill\u2019s implications for the mayor\u2019s office as the \u201celephant in the room\u201d during Tuesday\u2019s committee meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s an obvious assumption that this bill is in some way a referendum on the current administration,\u201d Kimball said. \u201cI want to just state unequivocally that it is not. This is actually something that I have been contemplating and thinking about before I was even elected to council office. I have been sitting on it here for awhile and deciding to bring it forward for the purpose of discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the reasoning behind the proposed shakeup of powers is to ensure that the progress of long-term county projects are not disrupted by frequent election cycles.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMany of the folks sitting on this dais now have experienced the transition between mayors,\u201d she said. \u201cSome (have experienced) three different mayors \u2014 and just how disruptive that process is, especially when we talk about the fiscal aspects.\u201d<\/p>\n

These disruptions, she said, are the main reason why the departments delineated in the bill should instead be controlled by the county manager.<\/p>\n

\u201cI selected these departments in particular because these are the ones where you have the long-term projects \u2014 the 10-, 20-year projects where (it\u2019s important) having some consistency and institutional knowledge between administrations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Kimball conceded that this was a drastic change that may be distasteful to some council members.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is really a transition to a modernization of how government is run in the county,\u201d she said. \u201cI know it\u2019s pretty radical, and I know it may be a bridge too far for some of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it came her time to weigh in on the measure, Kierkiewicz said she felt that too much power would be stripped from the mayor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of feels like the mayor is resigned to a role of a pretty face and being a ribbon-cutter,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m not a fan of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kimball responded that although the bill would change many aspects of the office, the mayor would still serve an important executive function.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I think this changes the role of the mayor in a significant way,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u2019s more than just a pretty face, though \u2014 you still have that sort of guiding star policy role as the mayor. It\u2019s not just going to be cut ribbons and kiss babies and that kind of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

She argued that offloading some of the mayoral duties could actually be beneficial to the office, and that there would still be enough work to go around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think that because of our growth as a county, there\u2019s enough work in that executive position for \u2014 you look at how many mayors have had heart attacks, I mean there\u2019s a lot of pressure within that role right now, and actually rolling out some of those administrative functions makes sense from that standpoint,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The lone testifier at Tuesday\u2019s meeting was Kailua-Kona resident Debbie Hecht, who spoke in support of the bill based on her more than two decades of experience watching different mayors and council members \u201conly focus on short-term projects\u201d because of the brevity of their terms. This has left protracted efforts like \u201ccesspool conversions and large-scale improvements of the sewer system\u201d to flounder, Hecht said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the 23 years I\u2019ve been on-island, Hawaii County falls pretty short on completing long-term projects,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s because every four years, we get a new mayor and new department heads, and so if we have people that are working consistently, I believe that the long-term projects will get done more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Miguel Andujar\u2019s solo HR lifts Padres past Dodgers 1-0<\/a><\/p>\n

Email Stefan Verbano at stefan.verbano@hawaiitribune-herald.com.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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