Type Unicameral | Seats 9 | |
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Term limits Two consecutivefour-year terms Council Chair Ernest Y. MartinSince January 3, 2013 Vice-Chair Ikaika AndersonSince January 3, 2013 Floor Leader Ron MenorSince November 12, 2014 |
The Honolulu City Council is the legislative branch of the City & County of Honolulu and is considered the second most powerful parliamentary body in the State of Hawaiʻi, following the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. Charged with writing and passing laws for the island of Oʻahu, the Honolulu City Council meets in chambers at Honolulu Hale year-round.
Contents
- Offices
- Command structure
- Functions and duties
- Administrative Districts
- Current members
- Committees
- References
The Honolulu City Council is composed of nine members from nine administrative districts. Each member is elected to no more than two consecutive four-year terms. Elections are nonpartisan in nature and held concurrently with Hawaii state elections with the primary election occurring in August and the general election (if necessary) occurring in November of even number years.
Offices
The Honolulu City Council conducts official business from Honolulu Hale, the City and County and mayoral seat. Honolulu Hale was built in 1928, and was designed with classical Spanish villa style architecture. Other offices associated with the Honolulu City Council are also located in other municipal buildings nearby Honolulu Hale, within the Hawaii Capital District, of which Honolulu Hale is part.
Command structure
In the line of command for the City & County of Honolulu, the Honolulu City Council balances the power of the Mayor of Honolulu and the Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu. The Honolulu City Council is responsible for the confirmation of the heads of the various departments under the mayor's office. Within the sphere of control of the Honolulu City Council are three bodies: Office of the City Clerk, Office of Council Services and the semi-autonomous Office of the City Auditor.
Within the Honolulu City Council, there are three main leadership positions. The officers of the Honolulu City Council are the Chairman, Vice Chairman and the Floor Leader. In the early 2000s, leadership was highly volatile and often controversially stripped, shuffled and changed.
Functions and duties
The Honolulu City Council has identified eleven major functions and duties that are of utmost priority while in session. They are:
Administrative Districts
For administrative purposes of the Honolulu City Council, the island of Oʻahu is divided into nine districts each represented at Honolulu Hale by a popularly elected member. Each district is composed of unincorporated subdivisions unofficially called towns and cities.
Current members
The following is a list of the members of the Honolulu City Council as of March 19, 2015:
Committees
The following is a list of the Honolulu City Council committees as of June 2, 2014: