HILO — Wearing his trademark blue jeans and plaid shirt, former Hawaii County Mayor “just call me Harry” Kim strode into the Office of Elections on Monday and dramatically changed what some had thought would be a two-way battle for the county’s top elected office.
HILO — Wearing his trademark blue jeans and plaid shirt, former Hawaii County Mayor “just call me Harry” Kim strode into the Office of Elections on Monday and dramatically changed what some had thought would be a two-way battle for the county’s top elected office.
Kim, 72, said he’d made the decision to run at 8 a.m. that morning, after talking with members of his family.
Now he has to find 15 signatures of qualified voters, he said, and complete the nomination papers before filing them today, the last day of qualifying for the ballot. He’s definitely going to run, he told reporters.
Mayor Billy Kenoi, who is seeking re-election, and County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, who is also running for mayor, had said Friday they welcomed Kim’s entrance into the race.
But Yagong on Monday was quick to lump Kim in with Kenoi, saying while Kim was mayor, and Kenoi was Kim’s executive assistant, government grew by more than 442 employees and payroll grew from $56 million to $79 million.
“Quite frankly, we’re really paying for it,” Yagong said. “More than ever, I think we need somebody with some fiscal prudence to deal with the budgetary problems that we’re dealing with today.”
Kim acknowledged the Hawaii County government today isn’t the same government he left in 2008. But he said the economy in 2000, when he became mayor, was also just coming out of a downturn, and he proceeded to lead during a period of rapidly growing property values and enhanced revenues.
“The county is different,” Kim said, “but people are the same.”
Kim said he thought it very unfair some county employees over the past few years got raises while other county employees took salary cuts in the form of first twice-monthly, and then monthly, unpaid furloughs. State-led negotiations with police and firefighters gave them four consecutive years of 4 percent and 5 percent raises, while employees represented by other unions got the furloughs.
The Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, also on Monday, sent out a news release endorsing Kenoi for mayor.
“Mayor Kenoi is committed to ensuring quality public safety services for Big Island residents and is dedicated to all of the residents and visitors on the Island of Hawaii,” said HFFA President Bobby Lee in a statement.
The firefighters union cited Kenoi’s work as mayor for the past four years, and as Kim’s executive assistant before that, as justifying the endorsement. They cited the construction of the new Makalei station, which was started even before Kim took office, and Kenoi’s help in garnering about $4 million in federal assistance.
“HFFA has worked with Billy as mayor and as executive assistant for Mayor Kim. He’s straightforward, honest and keeps his word,” said HFFA Hawaii Division Chair Darren “Cuz” Shimaoka in a statement.
Kim’s eleventh hour entrance in the race caused a scramble for the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, a group that along with the Hawaii Island Board of Realtors, Hawaii Island Contractor’s Association, Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawaii and Kanoelehua Industrial Area Association, had already set up a two-way mayoral forum for July 5.
Chamber of Commerce Office Manager Miles Yoshioka said late Monday if Kim has filed by the deadline, he will be invited to the event. So far, the chamber’s mayoral debate is the only forum strictly for the mayor’s race scheduled on the Big Island.
In Hawaii County, the mayoral race is a nonpartisan, majority contest. In other words, the race can be won in the Aug. 11 primary by any candidate who receives 50 percent plus one vote. If no candidate reaches that total, the top two contenders move on to the Nov. 6 general election.
For voters who have not registered, the primary election registration deadline is July 12 and the deadline for registering to vote in the general election is Oct. 8.
Kenoi was traveling Monday and couldn’t be reached for comment.
“We’ll continue to run the campaign we’ve been running,” Kenoi had said Friday. “We continue to look forward to a spirited and positive campaign, and we’ll continue to spread our message that together we can make a positive difference in our county.”