Honolulu City Councilmember Val Okimoto says a senior member of Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration tried to lean on her ahead of a key housing vote, allegedly hinting that money for her district could dry up if she did not get on board.
Okimoto told colleagues during Wednesday’s Council meeting that a written message from a top city official tied the release of her district’s appropriations to how she voted on the mayor’s nominee for the city’s new housing director. She says the message came after a public hearing in early September. Despite that, she still voted yes, with reservations, on the nominee, a move that has now kicked up fresh questions about whether public dollars are being used as political leverage inside Honolulu Hale.
Auger’s nomination landed at the Council this fall as Resolution 25-206. The Council agenda shows a Sept. 3 public hearing on the item, and the hearing and filings are documented in official Honolulu City Council records.
Okimoto’s Allegation And The Council Vote
On the Council floor, Okimoto said that “a written message from a senior administration official indicated that the release of my district appropriations will be contingent on the outcome of this vote,” according to Honolulu Civil Beat. She later wrote that “there are lines that should not be crossed.”…