Big Isle Council
gets new leader

Both the chairman and vice
chairman hail from outside Hilo

HILO >> Two members from outside Hilo will lead the Hawaii County Council, a major shift from the body's usual balance of power.

Gary Safarik, councilman from the lower Puna area, has been named chairman by a five-member majority, said Councilman Bob Jacobson, who represents the huge district from upper Puna to South Kona. Jacobson was named vice chairman of the nine-member council.

Safarik will replace the current chairman, Hilo member Jimmy Arakaki, when a new Council term begins in December.

In addition, two newly elected Council members from West Hawaii, Angel Pilago from North Kona and Pete Hoffmann from North and South Kohala, will share chairmanship of the key Planning Committee, which controls land development on the island. The dual chairmanship has never been tried before on the Council, Jacobson said.

Rounding out the five-person majority is former legislator and newly elected Councilwoman Virginia Isbell from Kona.

For most of the county's history, power has been wielded from Hilo, reflecting the large population base there.

An exception was Democrat Helene Hale, a Kona resident who led the county Board of Supervisors, the Council's predecessor, in 1963-65.

Another was Green Party member Keiko Bonk from Kau, selected chairwoman in 1995-96 in a deal with Democrats when neither they nor Republicans could muster a majority.

Council voting is now nonpartisan, but a clear alignment has nevertheless emerged with Council members from fast-growth areas in Puna and West Hawaii taking control from slow-growth areas in East Hawaii.

Still, the differences might not be great. Members of both the new majority and minority have expressed the need to build the county's infrastructure, especially roads.