It’s been two months since Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami was sworn into office.
The Garden Isle lawmaker traded his seat in the State House for the top county job.
It’s a different view from when he previously served on the County Council. Kawakami appeared before the legislative money committees with his hands outstretched in the annual mayor's trek to the Capitol to argue their case for a larger share of the hotel room tax.
Kauai is still trying to rebuild following a devastating flash flood last April. Housing and homelessness a top priority for the island-- as is helping to enforce laws to crack down on illegal vacation rentals.
