Editorial: Choose new faces for City Council

Oahu is facing a myriad of crossroads issues — from the troubled rail project, to reining in vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods, to meeting housing and homelessness demands, to shoring up core sevices such as parks and police.

It’s a challenging array for the nine-member Honolulu City Council, which sets Oahu’s policies and budget in tandem with the mayor. This election season, four seats are up for vote — with three of them guaranteeing new blood due to term limits for two incumbents and one leaving to seek the governor’s office. The fourth race, between Councilman Tommy Waters and challenger Kaleo Nakoa, will be decided in the general election.

Here are the Star-Advertiser’s recommendations for the Council’s three primary-election contests:

District 2 (Royal Kunia-Waipio-Wahiawa-Windward Coast): The decision by Heidi Tsuneyoshi to run for governor has left her Council seat, representing the sprawling Central Oahu-Windward Coast, open to new candidates. Reapportionment has it looping from Royal Kunia up north and around to Kahaluu.

It now includes parts of the Waipahu area, where Matt Weyer has served as secretary on the neighborhood board. Of the five candidates seeking this seat, he is the one with the best credentials for the job. Currently a city planner and a private attorney, Weyer cites his experience as a City Council policy adviser, conducting research and drafting legislation, among his key skills.

His stated priorities include action plans in housing and homelessness, with speeding up the permitting process part of the road map. He also pledges a push for infrastructure. That need is especially evident lately with coastal road and water-main disruptions.

Coming up behind Weyer but also showing a good record of grassroots community service is Racquel Achiu. Waialua-born, her roles include the second vice chair post on the North Shore Neighborhood Board. Others in the race are Lupe Funaki, Makuakai Rothman and Chad Tsuneyoshi.

District 6 (Downtown-Chinatown-Nuuanu-Kalihi): Carol Fukunaga has termed out of this Council district, bringing 2018 challengers Tyler Dos Santos-Tam and Ikaika Hussey back to the ballot; Nalani Jenkins, Chad Toshiro Wolke, Traci Toguchi, Dennis Nakasato and Chance K. Naauao-Ota are also in this crowded field.

Dos Santos-Tam rises to the top. Graduating with honors in political science from Yale in 2010, he is clearly ambitious and comfortable in a data-driven environment. He worked as executive director of the Hawaii Construction Alliance from 2013 through 2018, and is outspoken in his support for rail; he served as Democratic Party of Hawaii chairman in 2020-2022.

As a member of the area’s neighborhood board, chair of the Neighborhood Commission and community advocate leading the HI Good Neighbor organization to fight back against “monster homes,” gambling operations and illegal vacation rentals, Dos Santos-Tam has shown himself dedicated to addressing district issues, particularly affordable housing and crime. While his close connections with the construction industry and campaign donations from developers might give voters pause — Honolulu’s District 6 has little need for luxury developments — his pledge is to use his experience for the public benefit, to cut through obstacles to affordable housing. Voters should expect that.

District 8 (Pearl City-Waimalu-Waipio Gentry-Mililani): Reapportionment combines Pearl City with Mililani in this redrawn district. As incumbent Brandon Elefante terms out, the veteran contenders here are former Councilman Ron Menor and state Rep. Val Okimoto; the other candidates are Charmaine Doran, Dion Mesta and Keone Simon. Name recognition will likely give the advantage to Okimoto and Menor (who enjoys a $460,000-plus campaign war chest), but voters should not overlook the compelling underdog.

Mesta, who has a master’s degree in business administration, has been a legislative aide to Elefante since 2014 and has immersed himself in the job — working with constituents on issues such as affordable housing and development — plus in the community as Pearl City Neighborhood Board vice chairman and Junior Chamber International Honolulu vice president. Like his worthy opponents, Mesta’s breadth of community engagement impresses. District 8 voters have solid choices, including to vote for fresh potential: Mesta deserves a shot to serve on the Council.