The Hawaiʻi County Council has a new look as members were sworn into office this week — and decided on new leadership.
On Monday the council officially selected Holeka Goro Inaba as its chair. He said his primary role is to make sure that council hearings operate “in the most efficient, respectful and effective manner.”
Inaba is vacating his previous role as vice-chair, which is now filled by Dennis “Fresh” Onishi, the newly elected council member now representing District 3, which covers parts of South Hilo and a portion of Keaʻau. Onishi was also on the council from 2008 to 2016.
Sue Lee Loy, the district's previous council member who was set to term out, won a seat in the state House of Representatives in the November election.
The other newly elected council member is James Hustace, who ousted District 9 incumbent Cindy Evans.
Inaba said he hopes the revamped council will have a better working relationship going forward. And with Kimo Alameda as the new county mayor, Inaba said it’s a fresh start for the group.
“ There's always personal differences that oftentimes emerge between council members, but I think we are definitely off to a better start and, as chair, I am hoping to have meetings with some of the council members who maybe don't see eye to eye … to just start us off with a new level playing field,” Inaba said.
Inaba said that affordable housing will be a focus for the council. That could include continuing some of the efforts that the previous iteration of the council initiated, but also working with the new Alameda administration.
The council also assigned leaders to various committees during its inaugural meeting on Monday, which took place after the council members, the prosecuting attorney and Alameda were sworn into office.
Kauaʻi County Council also held its first meeting for the 2024-2026 term on Monday. The inaugural meetings for the Honolulu and Maui county councils are scheduled for January.
