Mayor Blangiardi: Council vote guts Office of Economic Revitalization

HONOLULU – The following statement is attributable to Mayor Rick Blangiardi on the Honolulu City Council vote to override his line-item veto:

“Today, the Honolulu City Council made a reckless and shortsighted decision to override my line-item veto and effectively dismantle the Office of Economic Revitalization by eliminating 15 jobs and stripping the department of its ability to carry out the work the people of Oʻahu asked us to do.

Let me be clear: this was not my decision. This was the decision of Council Chair Tommy Waters, Budget Chair Val Okimoto, and the City Council members who voted to override the veto. They own this decision, and they own its consequences.

In taking this action, the Council ignored the overwhelming voices of our business community, nonprofit organizations, economic development partners, and residents who urged them to preserve this office. They also rejected my direct request to allow this administration to address the audit findings, strengthen oversight, and improve the department. Instead of fixing what needed to be fixed, they chose to destroy it.

That is not good government. Good government identifies problems, corrects them, and continues delivering services. The Council chose the easier path of eliminating an entire operation rather than improving it.

Over the past several years, the Office of Economic Revitalization has become the City’s leading advocate for small businesses, local agriculture, workforce development, innovation, and economic recovery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency rent and utility assistance that kept thousands of Oʻahu families in their homes during one of the darkest periods in our history.

That work does not disappear because the need has disappeared. It disappears because the City Council voted to eliminate the people responsible for doing it.

The next time a small business owner asks why the City no longer offers the support they once depended on, the answer is simple: the City Council eliminated the office that provided it.

The next time farmers recovering from the recent Kona low storms ask why economic recovery assistance is no longer available, the answer is the same: the City Council voted to eliminate the team that helped them rebuild.

The next time entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, or community partners wonder why successful programs have vanished, they deserve the truth. Those programs did not fail. They were ended by a vote of the City Council.

Elections have consequences. So do Council votes.

I remain committed to supporting our local economy and serving the people of Oʻahu, but no administration can continue delivering services after the Council has intentionally eliminated the people, funding, and infrastructure required to provide them.

The responsibility for what happens next rests squarely with those who cast these votes. They made this choice. The people of Oʻahu will live with its consequences.”