Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi elections to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Cyd Hoffeld, nonpartisan candidate for Hawaiʻi County Council Member District 4 which includes Lower Puna and Pāhoa.

She is running against Shannon Burrows, Lloyd Enrique and Eileen Ohara in the Aug. 8 primary.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of council member? And why do you want the job?

I have spent over 40 years in Puna and 26 years in community health connecting families to care, opening doors for youth, advocating for women and working families. I chair the Hawai’i Community Health Worker Association, lead the Hawai’i Youth Services Network Board, and co-chair the Health & Wellness Committee for Going Home Hawai’i. I’m not running to start doing this work. I am running to keep doing it, with a seat at the table.

What is the biggest issue facing Hawai‘i County, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

District 4 is becoming unaffordable for the families who built it. I will hold community listening sessions across the district and publish findings; review District 4’s capital improvement backlog; and convene health and social service providers to map gaps. Listen first. Then move.

Here’s one question from a constituent: How would you make it safer to get in and out of Puna?

Highway 130 is our lifeline and it’s failing us. I will dedicate county capital funds, partner with state DOT, and pursue federal grants for targeted Highway 130 improvements. I would work on making the Hele-On fit working people in District 4 by supporting a service study focused on rural Puna routes, early morning departures, and evening returns.

The county’s Homelessness and Housing Fund is due to expire in 2027 and some council members are skeptical that the fund has helped solve the problem. Would you vote to extend the fund, and what would you do to come to grips with this persistent problem?

Yes. I would vote to extend it but with accountability. A public audit of outcomes will need to be reviewed before renewal. I would also address root causes: more affordable housing supply, stronger short-term rental enforcement, and a coordinated care system built on a model similar to Going Home Hawai’i.

Vacation rentals — illegal or not — are often blamed for reducing availability of affordable housing on the Big Island. What steps should the county take to deal with the proliferation of vacation rentals and create more affordable housing?

Enforce the existing law. The county has Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) ordinances that need to be enforced. I’d support capping new permits in housing-shortage areas and a surcharge on STVR revenue to be directed to affordable housing.

Half of Hawai‘i’s cesspools are on the Big Island – an estimated 49,000 –  and Mayor Kimo Alameda has already said the county will not meet the state’s 2050 deadline to convert them to cleaner systems. What steps should the county take to address the cesspool issue?

The state created this mandate without funding it. I would strongly advocate to the legislature for grants, not just loans for low-income homeowners. At the county level, I’d pursue bulk procurement agreements to reduce per-household costs and prioritize conversion near drinking water and coastal areas first, with the most assistance going to those least able to pay.

What specific steps should the county take to relieve traffic congestion in and around Kailua-Kona and along the Puna-Kea‘au-Hilo corridor?

For the Puna-Kea’au-Hilo corridor: target Highway 130 improvements in partnership with state DOT, federal transportation funding, and Hele-On expansion with more realistic commuter scheduling. For Kona: support completion of Palani Road improvements and continued Queen Ka’ahumanu investment. Both corridors need land use and transit planning integrated because traffic is a symptom of unplanned rapid growth in both areas.

Investors have sunk more than $500 million into the Pepe‘ekeo bioenergy plant known as Hu Honua or Honua Ola, but the plant has still been unable to begin producing power. Should the biomass energy plant be allowed to start operating? Why or why not?

I don’t support allowing the biomass energy plant to operate until it fully satisfies all outstanding air quality, environmental, and cultural impact requirements. A $500 million investment does not override public health or Kanaka Maoli rights. Those legal and regulatory processes exist for good reason. If the plant cannot meet the standards, that is the answer.

Both the state and county are showing interest in expanding production of geothermal energy on Hawaiʻi island. What is your position on geothermal power, and what constraints should be placed on it?

I support geothermal done right which is with genuine Kanaka Maoli co-governance, not managed comment periods; rigorous independent air quality monitoring with community access to real-time data; full environmental review before any expansion; and financial assurance that remediation costs don’t fall on communities. Benefits should flow to Puna, which bears the risk. I do not support geothermal on Hawaiian Homestead Lands.

What specific plans do you have to improve disaster preparedness and response on the Big Island?

Community resilience hubs in rural District 4 with backup power, water and communications. A formal secondary evacuation route study is needed because one road in and out is not a plan. Closing cell dead zones for emergency communications. We also need an honest public after-action review of 2018 built into a new emergency management plan.

What should Hawaiʻi County do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting and adapting to it?

Use land use authority because the county’s most powerful climate tool is to incorporate sea level rise and flood risk into permitting decisions. Decarbonize county operations with a firm timeline. Invest in watershed protection and coastal restoration. And run district-level climate resilience planning with strong community input.

Hawai‘i has a long-stated goal of growing more of its own food. What would you do to further that effort toward increased food sustainability?

Require a growing percentage of county food purchased to come from Hawai’i island producers because institutional demand is what makes farming viable. Invest in shared cold storage and processing infrastructure small farmers can’t afford alone. Protect agricultural zoning from conversion into residential. And fund community garden infrastructure in District 4 food deserts. Food sovereignty starts neighborhood by neighborhood.