The Honolulu City Council has voted to make Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam its new chair, and Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina its vice chair.
At its most recent meeting Thursday, the council voted 6-2 in favor of the new leadership structure. Current Chair Tommy Waters is preparing to leave the council in January.
About half of the written testimony opposed the leadership change. But supporters like Dale Vanderbrink of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi praised Dos Santos-Tam for his work at the council.
“ He regularly rides the bus, giving him firsthand experiences with challenges that riders face. That is why he was so forceful in opposing the bus fare increases that occurred earlier this year," Vanderbrink said.
"When told about the risk of fentanyl overdoses in our bars and nightclubs, he introduced a bill requiring Narcan in those establishments. We were the first city in the country to do that. He also puts in the work. His legislative record demonstrates it. During his first term, he introduced one-third of the bills that eventually became law."
The state is investigating a recent meeting between Dos Santos-Tam, Kiaʻāina and three other councilmembers to discuss the council's leadership. Some criticized it for not being open to the public.
