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Honolulu City Council chooses interim chairwoman

Gordon Y.K. Pang
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STAR-ADVERTISER / OCT. 2015

Honolulu City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi. The eight certified members of the Honolulu City Council voted unanimously to make Kobayashi their interim chairwoman as a challenge to Trevor Ozawa’s 22-vote election day victory over Tommy Waters remains unresolved.

The eight certified members of the Honolulu City Council voted unanimously to make Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi their interim chairwoman as a challenge to Trevor Ozawa’s 22-vote election day victory over Tommy Waters remains unresolved.

Councilman Ron Menor was voted interim vice chairman while Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga was elected floor leader.

Kobayashi has more years on the Council than the others, having served two separate times.

The Hawaii Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Tuesday on the challenges brought separately by Waters and a group of about 40 East Honolulu residents.

It’s unclear when the court will make a determination.

Council members said while they would’ve liked to have all nine seats filled before choosing a leader, there’s too much pressing business to stall any longer.

Ozawa likely would have been voted chairman on Jan. 2. Instead, deadlocked at 4-4, the Council not only failed to elect leaders, it could not select committee assignments or finalize a calendar.

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