City and County of Honolulu

The five candidates for the newly formed commission were able to field questions by the Honolulu City Council on Thursday.

The Honolulu City Council is considering several measures that would decrease property taxes for seniors, landlords, and homeowners who live on their property. Budget and Fiscal Services Director Andy Kawano was concerned about the lost revenue.

The recent leadership changes at the Honolulu Police Department have prompted a question: Who should be able to hire and fire Oʻahu's police chief? HPR’s Mark Ladao looks at who has that authority, how it can change, and what that change could mean.

The Honolulu Police Commission will meet June 18 to pick an interim replacement for Honolulu Police Department Chief Joe Logan and also begin the process to select a permanent chief.

The Honolulu City Council will vote this week on a measure that could change its leadership for vice chair and floor leader.

The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting has launched a new Short-Term Rental Awareness Campaign designed to increase awareness for the public interested in vacation rentals.

The council wrapped up its votes Wednesday night after a discussion that often centered around how it would fund billions of dollars of Oʻahu sewer infrastructure upgrades in the coming years.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi would support a charter amendment giving whoever is the Honolulu mayor the ability to hire and fire the city’s chief of police. He also appears open to changing how the chiefs of the city’s fire and ocean safety departments are picked.

The Honolulu City Council has been looking to reallocate money in the city’s budget to fund other projects, namely required sewer infrastructure upgrades on Oʻahu, and about $12.4 million could come from funds otherwise meant to hire for Honolulu Police Department jobs that are chronically vacant.

The City and County of Honolulu is waiting for the governor to decide whether he will let a state bill take effect that would further narrow site options for a new Oʻahu landfill. If the law goes into effect, the city says it will likely extend its operations at Waimanalo Gulch in West Oʻahu.