Honolulu Charter Amendments
This year, Oʻahu voters will see 20 proposed changes to the Honolulu City Charter on their General Election ballots. The City Charter is like Honolulu’s constitution. It shapes how our city government works, how decisions are made, and what values guide those choices. The Charter Commission looked at 295 proposals before selecting these 20 for voters to consider.
Food Security
Question 1: Food Security Fund. Creates a fund to improve access to locally grown food. Increases the share of property-tax revenue dedicated to Charter special funds from 2.5% to 3%, divided equally among six funds.
(HAPA Position: YES)
Learn more from Hawaiʻi Appleseed
News coverage from Hawaii Public Radio
Native Hawaiian Stewardship
Question 2: Charter preamble. Updates the Charter’s opening statement to recognize the relationship with ʻāina, honor kūpuna and Prince Kūhiō, and emphasize stewardship. It does not change any government powers.
(HAPA Position: YES)
Question 3: Native Hawaiian stewardship. Creates an Office of ʻŌiwi Resources and Cultural Stewardship to coordinate care for Native Hawaiian cultural and natural resources and promote appropriate Hawaiian language use. Also creates a council of kūpuna, cultural practitioners, and community representatives.
(HAPA Position: YES)
News coverage from Hawaii Public Radio
Equity
Question 4: LGBTQIA+ Commission. Creates a nine-member commission to advise City leaders on issues affecting LGBTQIA+ residents, recommend policies supporting equality, and connect the community.
(HAPA Position: YES)
Ranked Choice Voting
Question 5: Ranked-choice voting. Beginning in 2032, elects the Mayor, City Council, and Prosecuting Attorney in a single November election using ranked-choice voting. Voters rank candidates, and votes transfer to remaining choices as candidates are eliminated until a winner is determined.
(HAPA Position: YES)
Learn more from My Vote Counts HI
Immigration
Question 6: HPD and immigration enforcement. Requires HPD policies protecting constitutional rights regardless of immigration or citizenship status. Officers could assist federal immigration enforcement only when required by law or court order, after verifying the requesting agency’s identity and authority.
(HAPA Position: YES)
Housing
Question 7: Housing availability. Makes increasing and preserving housing for residents a priority policy and recognizes housing-related outmigration as a serious threat. It does not create a specific housing program.
(HAPA Position: YES)
Question 8: Affordable Housing Fund. Requires repayments, interest, and other money generated by the fund to return to it for future affordable housing. Also allows support for qualifying affordable units in mixed-use and mixed-income projects.
(HAPA Position: NO POSITION)
Question 9: City property hearings. Removes a separate public-hearing requirement for City property transactions. Council approval and opportunities to testify before the Council would remain.
(HAPA Position: NO)
Question 10: Housing plan. Requires a 10-year affordable housing plan, updated at least every five years, to guide City policies and spending. Takes effect January 1, 2030.
(HAPA Position: YES)
Learn more from Hawaii Appleseed
News coverage from Hawaii Public Radio
Environment
Question 11: Environmental and climate grants. Allows the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund and Climate Resiliency Fund to award grants to qualifying nonprofits for work supporting each fund’s purpose. (HAPA Position: YES)
Historic Preservation and Special Funds
Question 12: Additional funding sources. Allows Charter special funds to accept federal, state, philanthropic, and other authorized funding alongside their dedicated City revenue. (HAPA Position: YES)
Question 13: Historic preservation. Expands the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund so it can help restore and care for historic buildings, sites, and cultural resources. The fund would be renamed the Land, Natural Resources, and Historic Preservation Fund. (HAPA Position: No Position)
Question 14: Protected-land upkeep. Raises the amount of money available for maintaining and managing protected properties from 5% to 10% of what was put into the fund the previous year. (HAPA Position: YES)
City government, Boards and Accountability
Question 15: Data, AI and privacy. Establishes an Office of Data and Innovation in the Charter to improve City services, transparency, data practices, digital privacy, and responsible use of artificial intelligence. (HAPA: No position)
Question 16: Permanent residents on boards. Allows lawful permanent residents living in Honolulu to serve on most City boards and commissions if otherwise qualified. It does not change who can vote in elections. (HAPA: YES)
Question 17: Board quorums. Excludes vacancies and nonvoting members when calculating a quorum. Once a quorum exists, a majority of those present and voting can generally approve actions. Neighborhood Boards are unaffected. (HAPA position: YES)
Question 18: Human Resources deputy. Makes the First Deputy Director of Human Resources an appointed job outside of civil service, like other City first deputies. It would start on January 1, 2027. (HAPA: No position)
Question 19: Charter Commission support. Requires the City Clerk to give administrative and technical help to future Charter Commissions, but it would not change their independence or authority. (HAPA Position: YES)
Question 20: Impeached officials. Bars a Mayor, Councilmember, or Prosecuting Attorney who is impeached, or who resigns after an impeachment petition is filed, from being elected or appointed to any City office for two years. (HAPA position: YES)
You can read the full proposals in the official Charter Amendment Booklet. To see all proposals, explanations, and supporting testimony, visit www.honolulucitycouncil.org/oahuvotes
And view the Star Advertiser Editorial Positions: 1-5, 6-10
And tune into Insights on PBS, Thursday Oct 22, to learn about ballot questions, including two proposed changes to the State Constitution and all four counties' proposed charter changes. Featuring Colin Moore, Political Analyst; Camron Hurt; Common Cause Hawaiʻi; Judith Mills-Wong, League of Women Voters, Hawaiʻi; Jacob Aki, Honolulu Charter Commission.
