Kauai County Council

Rapozo has served on the county council for 18 years, following a career with the Kauaʻi Police Department and the Hawaiʻi National Guard. He is now running for mayor. His opponent, Bernard Carvalho, did not respond to HPR's interview requests.

The island’s Kekaha Landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2030, and the search for a new landfill site is underway. A proposed county bill would not allow new landfills within a six-mile radius of one that has accepted waste in the last 30 years.

Measure 3008 would create a new property tax program called an ʻĀina Kūpuna dedication that would let Hawaiʻi families, who can trace their land back to being continuously owned before statehood in 1959, pay a fixed property tax for 10 years.

Grants for Kauaʻi County houseless programs were set to receive $500,000 under the original proposed budget, but will now receive $1.5 million.

The impacts of federal funding cuts and the tight state budget have trickled down to Kauaʻi County, which is finalizing its budget for next year.

Kauaʻi Councilmember Fern Holland shares updates and information she gathered about an immigration raid she witnessed in her neighborhood four months ago.

The bill would require minors to wear helmets while using e-bikes, or electric bicycles. It would also effectively ban bike tricks like wheelies, along with riding in a “hazardous manner” — such as driving with more than one person.

Kauaʻi County is looking at ways to better prepare homes in high fire risk areas. HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports on a bill being considered by the county council.

The Kauaʻi County Council is moving along Bill 2969 primarily to address a county-level exemption for beachfront properties that has allowed owners to make repairs to their homes without adhering to setback rules.

Kauaʻi councilmembers have proposed some budget changes that divert money from projects that have stalled or don't have solid plans going forward.