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Housing and infrastructure are key issues in Honolulu City Council District 2 — an area that covers Royal Kunia, Wahiawa, along the North Shore to Kahaluu.
The Council seat is currently held by Heidi Tsuneyoshi, who did not seek reelection in a bid to run for governor.
Candidates Matt Weyer and Makua Rothman are vying to replace her in the Nov. 8 general election. Four of the nine Council districts — 2, 4, 6 and 8 — are up for election after nonpartisan primary races. Candidates in the primary could have won outright if they had collected 50% of the votes plus one. However, no one in any of the races came close to that threshold, so the two candidates with the highest vote totals in each race advanced to the general election.
In District 2, Weyer and Rothman come from distinctly different backgrounds.
Weyer is a lawyer from Waikele who works as a planner in the city Department of Community Services, while Rothman is a big-wave surfer who grew up on the North Shore.
Weyer said his campaign is focusing on the high cost of living and housing, as well as infrastructure needs.
Weyer said he wants to address the long wait times for permits at the Department of Planning and Permitting as well as increase the department’s enforcement of the short-term rental ordinance. In addition, he wants to see the city further leverage its affordable-housing fund and more federal dollars to increase Oahu’s housing inventory. However, he noted that development needs to be community-specific, while preserving and maintaining agricultural land.
“Can we look at the thousands of lots that are already zoned residential and support in-fill that fits the character of the neighborhoods that they’re in?” he said. “If you’re looking at along the rail (route), maintaining the character of the community it’s in but maximizing that density where you can in the urban core … then you also have where it’s appropriate to do services for the community to respond to homelessness, and we get community input on that for what’s appropriate, and what area, too.”
Rothman did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls. However, during the Honolulu Star- Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaii” livestream program, he agreed with Weyer about leveraging the affordable-housing fund, but also wants to see how it can further support people trying to buy homes, considering the higher interest rates being set by the federal government.
“It’s really going to come down to how we appropriate our phones, and what kind of skin in the game the city and county is willing to take to work together with organizations like Hawaiian homes, and really pushing the infrastructure support to these projects so that we can get them finished and delivered to our people,” he said.
Regarding infrastructure, Weyer said his concerns range from installing more sidewalks in Wahiawa to addressing the heavily congested traffic at Laniakea Beach and throughout the North Shore, to the coastal erosion near Kamehameha Highway in Koolauloa.
He added that along with applying for more federal funds, tourism management is an important part of alleviating traffic on the North Shore.
Rothman said he wants to see roadwork done at night, even if it costs the city more money, because it would help with traffic during the day.
Both candidates agreed that there needs to be more conversation about shoreline setbacks to include community solutions.
“Ultimately, we have to preserve access to our natural resources, you know, protect public access to our oceans in our beaches,” Weyer said.
“We need to have a very frank conversation, and for me it’s guided both by the science and by the community. … So it’s, What does managed retreat look like? Because I think that’s what we need to look at: How do we start to move back? … We need a lot of community input on that.”
Another issue that newly elected Council members will face during their term is the expiration of federal American Rescue Act Plan funding. The city received $386 million from the federal government to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council and administration have been using that money to fund different programs and positions, but as the funds are used by the 2026 deadline, it will be up to the Council to balance the budget and decide what programs can continue to be funded and how to boost city revenue to cover any extra costs.
Weyer said he wants to prioritize the funding for housing, responding to homelessness and supporting agriculture. He also said he would consider a vacant-home tax to generate more city revenue, as well as look for more federal funds.
The District 2 race likely will be close, as during the primary election. Weyer received 25.2% of the vote while Rothman received 23.6%.
Weyer has been able to raise more money for his campaign than Rothman, according to the most recent campaign disclosure, which ended Sept. 26. In total, Weyer raised $132,605 while Rothman raised $128,127.
Both candidates received funds from current Council members. Council Chair Tommy Waters donated $4,000 and Council member Esther Kia‘aiana donated $250 to Weyer. Council member Andria Tupola donated $4,000, through her company Hawaii Leadership Solutions, to Rothman.
Weyer’s other top donors were labor unions such as Unite Here Local 5, the United Public Workers Union and Hawaii Government Employees Association. He also received at least $14,000 from those related to or executives of the Kobayashi Group Real Estate Firm, and in turn, BlackSand Capital, a real estate private equity firm that is closely connected.
Weyer spent $93,946, mostly on advertising, events and printing. One of his larger purchases was $15,073.29 for polling services from Ward Research, a local research and polling company.
Rothman received sizable donations from labor unions, such as the Ironworkers Union, the Masons Union and Longshore & Warehouse Union. He also contributed $3,020.81 of his own money to his campaign.
Rothman spent $122,302, largely on events. His largest expense has been to Tupola’s Hawaii Leadership Solutions company, which he has paid $28,000 for professional services over the course of the election season. He’s also paid $12,440 to Wilkerson Public Affairs, owned by Braedon Wilkerson, Tupola’s chief of staff.
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