Former congressional chief of staff tapped for vacant council seat
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A City Council committee has selected attorney Mike Formby to temporarily fill the seat that represents East Oahu until a special election can be held in April.
The council’s Legislative Matters Committee voted to name Formby, whose appointment must still be approved by the full Council. A vote is scheduled for Tuesday.
He says combating climate change, illegal vacation rentals and monster homes are among his priorities.
“All of those things have affected the district and I want to hear what the people in the district say,” he said.
Formby served as chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, and was also previously the acting executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
The longtime Kaimuki resident also headed the state Department of Transportation’s harbor’s division.
“He has the breadth of ... experience and knowledge that you really can’t find in anyone,” said Hanabusa.
The special election in April is required after the state Supreme Court threw out the general election results for the seat.
In the special election, incumbent Trevor Ozawa is set to once again square off against challenger Tommy Waters.
Formby will likely serve until the winner of that election is sworn into office, which will likely be in May.
This story will be updated.
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