Read our coverage of the Hawaii 2022 gubernatorial race.

City and County of Honolulu Charter Amendments

No. 1 — Shall the revised city charter be amended to increase the mandatory percentage of the city’s estimated real property tax revenues to be appropriated annually for deposit into the Affordable Housing Fund from one-half of 1% to 1%? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 2 — Shall the revised city charter be amended to require that the Planning Commission have at least one member with substantial experience or expertise in one of the following categories of disciplines, that each of the categories be represented by a different member, and that all of the categories are represented on the commission:

1. Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices, native Hawaiian law, or traditional Hawaiian land usage;
2. land use planning, policies, and principles;
3. land development and construction; and
4. climate change and sea level rise causes, effects, and solutions; or environmental protection and preservation. Read Civil Beat coverage of the ballot measure.

No. 3 — Shall the revised city charter be amended to expand the permitted use of funds in the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund to include funding for costs related to the operation, maintenance, and management of lands acquired by way of this fund that are necessary to protect, maintain, or restore resources at risk on these lands, such as infrastructure, environmental remediation, or improvements to provide for public access and use? Read Civil Beat coverage of the ballot measure.

No. 4 — Shall the revised city charter be amended to update the provisions pertaining to the Office of Council Services, the research and drafting arm of the council, to reflect its current functions; consolidate various provisions relating to the OCS in a separate chapter of the revised charter like its fellow legislative branch agencies, the Office of the City Clerk and Office of the City Auditor, provide for the appointment, salary, and duties of the OCS director; and expressly recognize the authority of the licensed attorneys in the OCS to provide legal advice to the City Council and its members? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

For the full text of these proposed amendments, go to honoluluelections.us or call (808) 768-3800.

Hawaii County Charter Amendments

No. 1 — Shall the Hawaii County Charter be amended to increase the membership of the Board of Ethics from five members to seven members?

No. 2 — Shall the Hawaii County Charter be amended to expand the duties of the Office of the County Auditor to include investigating allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse within the operations of the County of Hawaii?

No. 3 — Shall the Hawaii County Charter be amended to establish a Youth Commission, which would consist of at least nine but no more than 15 members between the ages of 14 and 24-years old, whose duties would include advising the mayor, county council, and official agencies of the county on legislative and budgetary matters, assess existing programs and advance new programs that support youth development, and encourage and coordinate youth participation in county initiatives and other forms of civic engagement?

For the full text of these proposed amendments, go to hawaiicounty.gov/charteramendments or call (808) 961-8255.

Maui County Charter Amendments

No. 1 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to: 1) divide the Department of Housing and Human Concerns into two departments; 2) create the Housing Advisory Board to advise the director of housing; and 3) require a liaison with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands within the Department of Housing? Read Civil Beat’s coverage of this ballot measure.

No. 2 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to affirm that the County will operate as a bilingual government; to establish a Department of Oiwi Resources to implement programs to ensure proper management of oiwi (native) cultural resources, including the Hawaiian language, place names, historical and archival materials, cultural sites, iwi and burials, and the variety of natural resources used in cultural practices; and to collaborate with the planning director on revisions to the general plan and long-range planning programs? Read Civil Beat’s coverage of this ballot measure.

No. 3 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to: 1) require the filing of a financial disclosure statement by appointive officers and employees prior to taking office or participating in any official capacity; 2) prohibit officers and employees from taking official actions in which the officer or employee has a direct or indirect financial interest; and 3) prohibit officers and employees from using or attempting to use their position for unwarranted advantage to themselves or others? Read Civil Beat’s story on the ballot measure.

No. 4 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to: 1) require that the Maui Planning Commission have members from all council residency areas on the island of Maui; 2) allow for Kalaupapa, Molokai, to be included within the County of Maui and the jurisdiction of the Molokai Planning Commission upon state action; and 3) allow for the community plan update process to be set by ordinance? Read Civil Beat’s coverage of this ballot measure.

No. 5 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to: 1) require remote communications during County Council meetings between the Council and members of the public located in Hana, Lanai, Molokai, and other geographic areas, in accordance with state law; 2) require county employees to facilitate access to county records and minimize fees and charges; and 3) provide discretion in determining the day, time, and venue of the county council’s organizational meeting? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 6 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to remove the cap on penalties for violations of the law so that they will be set by ordinance? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 7 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to require an administrative head nominated by the mayor to immediately vacate office if denied appointment by the council, and to prohibit a letter of resignation as a condition of appointment for an administrative head? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 8 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to authorize the county clerk to update the charter in compliance with law, clarify the county clerk’s other duties, and to prohibit the county clerk and deputy county clerk from actively participating in political management or campaigns for federal, state, or county elective office? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 9 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to require that the chief of police provide a written report to the police commission when the chief disagrees with the commission’s findings related to the conduct of the department or its members? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 9A — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended with council’s alternative 9A to require that the chief of police inform the police commission when the chief disagrees with the commission’s findings related to the conduct of the police department or its members, and upon the commission’s request, provide a written report?

No. 10 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to: 1) create a 9-member Independent Nomination Board, with its membership appointed by the mayor and approved by council, to recruit, evaluate, and nominate individuals for county boards, commissions, and the positions of the county clerk, auditor, corporation counsel, and prosecuting attorney; 2) eliminate the prohibition on paying board and commission members; 3) set the county clerk’s term at 6 years; 4) eliminate the requirement that no more than a bare majority of a board or commission may belong to the same political party; and 5) stagger the membership of new boards so that five members would serve 3-year terms and four members would serve 2-year terms and provide that board members serving for an initial term of less than 3 years may be reappointed to a full term on the same board? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 10A — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended with alternative No. 10A to: 1) create an 11-member Independent nomination board, with 2 members appointed by the mayor without council approval and 9 members appointed by the council without mayoral approval and, to recruit, evaluate, and nominate individuals for the positions of the corporation counsel and prosecuting attorney and county boards and commissions; 2) eliminate the requirement that no more than a bare majority of a board or commission may belong to the same political party; 3) remove the prohibition on paying board and commission members; and 4) stagger the membership of new boards and commissions so that five members would serve 3-year terms and four members would serve 2-year terms and provide that board members serving for an initial term of less than 3 years may be reappointed to a full term on the same board or commission?

No. 11 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to require that the county auditor assess the impacts of proposed charter amendments on county taxation and spending? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 12 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to establish Maui County Community Water Authorities with regional community boards to manage water collection and delivery systems acquired by the water authorities, including state license areas in East Maui, and to pursue long-term water lease agreements with the state to provide a long-term reliable supply of water for domestic and agricultural needs? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

No. 13 — Shall the Maui County Charter be amended to establish a county policy to promote climate change adaptation, including by implementing guidelines to allow certain county employees to telework and have alternative work schedules? Read Civil Beat’s story on this ballot measure.

For the full text of these proposed amendments, go to mauicounty.gov/charteramendments or call (808) 270-7749.

Kauai County Charter Amendments

No. 1 — Shall the Kauai County Charter be amended to require that future elections for Prosecuting Attorney occur at the same time as the county’s regularly scheduled elections?

No. 2 — Shall the Kauai County Charter be amended to remove Article 30 which allows the county council to create an electric power corporation?

No. 3 — Shall the Kauai County Charter be amended to give the salary commission the authority to establish the maximum salary for elected and appointed officials?

No. 4 — Shall the Kauai County Charter be amended by removing the portion of section 19.17 that requires surety bonds for certain officers and employees?

Read Civil Beat’s story on the ballot measures.

For the full text of these proposed amendments, go to kauai.gov/Charter or call (808) 241-4917.