2 incumbents, 2 newbies get nods

The nine members of the Honolulu City Council must respond to the needs of their individual districts while simultaneously acting as a cohesive body that advances solutions to Oahu’s most pressing problems — without unduly burdening taxpayers. That’s the ideal, and some Council lineups have succeeded better than others.

With the primary election, voters have the opportunity to elect four members we hope will restrain rampant development, combat homelessness and serve to ensure that the island remains a lovely place to work and live.

The member with the most geographically diverse district is also the Council’s current chairman, Ernie Martin, whose performance should earn him re-election to his District 2 seat. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser hasn’t always agreed with the chairman on the issues, wishing that wrangling with the city administration over Housing First proposals, for example, hadn’t been so protracted. But that debate has resolved reasonably well, and the chairman generally has managed the leadership role with an even hand.

Martin, 54, earns high marks from several community leaders in his Central Oahu-North Shore-Kahaluu district. His position has secured funds for a range of improvements, from a canoe halau in Haleiwa to, most notably, the city contribution in the deal to protect Turtle Bay and Kawela Bay.

His challengers are Dan Hara and Dave Burlew.

In the race to replace District 4 City Council member Stanley Chang, who is giving up his Hawaii Kai-Kaimuki-Waikiki seat to run for the U.S. House, our endorsement goes to long-time Hawaii Kai resident Natalie Iwasa, aka the "Bike Mom," for promoting bicycle-friendly streets and bicycle-safety laws.

Aside from being on the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board, Iwasa, 52, is involved with a variety of civic or environmental groups, and has served on the Honolulu Real Property Tax Advisory Commission and on the state’s advisory committee for the Statewide Long-Range Land Transportation Plan. Moreover, she has attended almost all of the Council’s full sessions for the past four years. As a certified public accountant, her testimony is constructive — in 2009 she analyzed plans for new lighting along Lunalilo Home Road and persuaded the Council to revamp the project, saving the city money upfront and through the years via lower electricity costs. Others in this race are Trevor Ozawa, Carl Strouble and Tommy Waters.

In District 6, Carol Fukunaga won a special election in 2012 to fill the last two years of now-U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s seat. Those two years have been momentous ones for the district, which stretches from Makiki to Aiea and includes Chinatown-Downtown and Kakaako, ground zero for homelessness and urban development.

Fukunaga’s process-oriented approach to solving problems reflects her long experience as a state legislator. Of the four candidates for this seat, Fukunaga, 66, possesses a unique combination of political experience and policy knowledge that makes her the best qualified for the city’s most complex problems. She supports rail and the potential benefits of transit-oriented development for this district’s older residential communities, as well as the Complete Streets approach.

Her challengers are Sam Aiona, Steve Miller and Joli Tokusato.

In District 8, Russ Grunch stands out among the four vying to replace Breene Harimoto, who is giving up the Aiea-Pearl City-Waipahu seat to run for state Senate. Grunch, elected to the Aiea Neighborhood Board in 2013, is a strategic planner adept at zero-base budgeting, and would not be quick to raise property taxes or other city fees.

Grunch, 61, a retired colonel who works as a civilian logistics supervisor for the Air Force, wants the city to consolidate multiple billing systems to extract savings. His opinion about extending the 0.5 percent excise tax surcharge to fund Oahu’s rail project past the current sunset date is equally pragmatic: "2022 is eight years away. If we extend the tax surcharge now, there will be little incentive for our rail program managers to find ways to lower program costs."

He offers viable, common-sense solutions to address district concerns, which include improving pedestrian safety, reducing traffic and curtailing unwanted development, and thinks big when it comes to energy self-reliance. Others vying are Brandon Elefante, Baybee Hufana-Ablan and Brysen Poulton.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser Endorsements: Through Sunday, we present our picks for the 2014 primary election’s major contested races.