Hawaii County Mayor-Elect Alameda looks to ‘engage and assess’ after taking office Monday

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii County will have a new mayor Monday, and he says he’s ready to hit the ground running.

Mayor-Elect Kimo Alameda is new to public office but not new to government, having served under mayors Billy Kenoi and Harry Kim. His campaign focused on bringing change and transparency to government.

Alameda is a staunch advocate for geographic equity, which is why the Hilo native says his inauguration ceremony will be in Kona on Monday at noon. It is expected to draw at least 1,000 people.

He said his first priority is to connect with the staff and assess the needs of all the county departments, in particular the wait times for building permits and obstacles to constructing more affordable housing. He said he’s considering improvements like third party reviews and shot-clock deadlines.

Alameda draws from a range of experience from various positions, including as a school counselor and special education teacher at the state Department of Education.

He later served in the Department of Health Children’s Division as a statewide transition specialist and as head of the Adult Mental Health Division’s Office of Multicultural Services and the Office of Health Equity.

He also advocates for healthcare equity on an island plagued by a shortage of doctors in rural areas and a growing aging population.

As head of the fentanyl task force, he also plans to address drugs and homelessness.

He said he also plans to focus on emergency response to natural disasters in Hawaii County, the handling of cesspools and what’s next for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

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