The Honolulu City Council has nine members, one from each district on Oʻahu, serving the 2025–2029 term that began in January 2025. Tommy Waters chairs the council, Andria Tupola serves as vice chair, and Esther Kiaʻāina serves as floor leader. Together the nine members of the Honolulu City Council control the city’s budget, set property tax rates, approve zoning changes, and pass the ordinances that govern daily life across the City and County of Honolulu.1Honolulu City Council. CLK – Councilmembers
The Nine Current Council Members
All nine seats were filled in the 2024 election cycle, and the council chose its own leadership from among its members.
- District I — Andria Tupola (Vice Chair). Represents ʻEwa Beach, Kapolei, Hoʻopili, Makakilo, Koʻolina, Nānākuli, Waiʻanae, and Mākaha.
- District II — Matt Weyer. Represents Waikele, Wahiawā, Waialua, Haleʻiwa, the North Shore from Sunset Beach to Kahuku, and the upper Windward Coast through Kahaluʻu.
- District III — Esther Kiaʻāina (Floor Leader). Represents Kāneʻohe, Kailua, Enchanted Lake, Maunawili, and Waimānalo.
- District IV — Tommy Waters (Chair). Represents Hawaiʻi Kai, Kāhala, Kaimukī, Diamond Head, and Waikīkī.
- District V — Scott Nishimoto. Represents Mānoa, Palolo Valley, Mōʻiliʻili, McCully, Ala Moana, Makiki, and portions of Kakaʻako.
- District VI — Tyler Dos Santos-Tam. Represents Downtown Honolulu, Punchbowl, Nuʻuanu, Liliha, Kalihi Valley, and portions of Kakaʻako.
- District VII — Radiant Cordero. Represents Moanalua, Salt Lake, ʻAliamanu, ʻAiea, Fort Shafter, Hickam, and Pearl Harbor.
- District VIII — Val Aquino Okimoto. Represents Pearl City, Mililani Town, Mililani Mauka, Koa Ridge, and Waipiʻo Gentry.
- District IX — Augie Tulba. Represents Waipahū, West Loch, ʻEwa Villages, and portions of ʻEwa Beach.
Finding Your District
Oʻahu is divided into nine districts of roughly equal population, about 113,000 residents each based on the 2020 census.2Honolulu City Council. Our Council The lines run from the dense urban core out to rural communities on the North Shore and Windward Coast, and they are redrawn every ten years after the federal census to keep representation balanced as neighborhoods grow.
If your neighborhood sits on a boundary or you aren’t sure which district you live in, the council maintains an online tool that returns your member based on your address.3Honolulu City Council. Find My Councilmember
What the Council Does
The Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu vests all of the city’s legislative power in the council, giving members authority to enact ordinances and adopt resolutions on matters of public health, safety, and welfare.4City and County of Honolulu. Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu – Section 3-101 A few areas carry most of the weight.
The budget. Every spring the mayor submits a proposed operating and capital budget for the coming fiscal year, and the council spends months reviewing it in public hearings before amending and voting on a final version. The FY2026 proposal included a $3.93 billion operating budget and a $1.21 billion capital improvement program.5City and County of Honolulu. Mayor Blangiardi Submits Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Proposals to the Honolulu City Council The council also sets the real property tax rates that fund county services.
Land use and zoning. Council votes decide housing density, where commercial development can go, and how agricultural or conservation land is protected. Changes to the general plan or any development plan require council approval.
Appointments and oversight. The council confirms or rejects mayoral appointments to boards and commissions. Under Section 3-120 of the Charter, it can also investigate the operations of any city department or agency, with the power to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and compel the production of documents.6City and County of Honolulu. Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu – Section 3-120
Lawmaking. Bills must pass three readings on separate days before becoming law, with committee hearings in between. If the mayor vetoes a bill, six of the nine members can override the veto.7Honolulu City Council. About – Meeting Times That same six-vote supermajority is required to take up matters not posted on the agenda at least six days in advance.
Terms, Term Limits, and Pay
Council members serve four-year terms, and the Charter caps service at two consecutive four-year terms.8City and County of Honolulu. Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu – Section 3-102 After eight consecutive years a member must step down, though the “consecutive” qualifier means a former member can run again in a later cycle after sitting out at least one term. Terms are staggered so the full council never turns over at once, and new terms begin at noon on January 2 following the election.
Salaries are set by an independent salary commission rather than by the members themselves, and compensation has been in the range of roughly $122,000 to $128,000 annually in recent years. For federal tax purposes, council members are treated as public officers and employees: the city withholds federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare, and issues a W-2.9Internal Revenue Service. Tax Withholding for Government Workers
How to Reach Your Member and Weigh In
You can contact your council member’s office by phone, email, or scheduled appointment at Honolulu Hale. Hawaiʻi’s Sunshine Law requires council and committee agendas to be posted at least six days before each meeting, which gives you time to review upcoming bills and prepare testimony.7Honolulu City Council. About – Meeting Times Written testimony can be submitted through the council’s online portal; in-person testimony requires registration through the Office of the City Clerk. Most meetings are broadcast live.
If you want to see where your member stands on how the city spends its money, the budget review stretch between March and June is the one window each year when every dollar of city spending is debated in public.10Honolulu City Council. FY27 Budget