Council to get update on mayoral transition

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ROTH
KIM
Kanealii-Kleinfelder
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Hawaii County’s outgoing and incoming mayors are set to provide Hawaii County Council members with an update on transition plans this week.

Puna Councilman Matt Kanealii-Kleinfelder has requested representatives for the administrations of current Mayor Harry Kim and mayor-elect Mitch Roth to appear at 1 p.m. Tuesday before the Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic Development at the Hawaii County Building in Hilo.

The meeting comes less than a month before the Dec. 7 inauguration during which Roth will take the oath of office for a four-year term.

“We’ll get to meet the new administration and see a nice transition discussion happen, get to know the new players and also hit on some of the key items that are important to us in the transition,” said Kanealii-Kleinfelder, noting that the transition is already happening behind the scenes with this meeting providing the public a chance to be in the loop.

The one-hour discussion will get underway following public testimony. Though the meeting is closed to the public due to COVID-19, it will be live streamed on the county’s website for viewing.

All nine council members will get a chance to query both administrations on issues and projects important to their district.

“There’s going to be a lot of discussion especially about things that are being carried over from one administration to the next,” said Kanealii-Kleinfelder.

Attempts to reach Roth and Kim were unsuccessful as of press-time Friday. Kim’s secretary said Managing Director Roy Takemoto will attend Tuesday’s meeting.

Inauguration is set for Dec. 7 with plans being finalized for the virtual program to be simulcast from both Council Chambers in Kailua-Kona and Hilo.

Roth, Hawaii County’s current prosecutor, won the 2020 general election with 50,370 total votes to political newcomer Ikaika Marzo’s 35,887, giving him 58.4% of the vote.

Kim served eight years as mayor before sitting out eight years, and then won a new four-year term in 2016.

A full agenda for the committee meeting, including information on ways to testify, can be found at the county’s website at www.hawaiicounty.gov.