Council Powers Training Manual
Read first: role, power map, vote math, limits, case studies, and platform crosswalk.
How to use this packet
Begin with the Council Powers Training Manual. Then use each policy brief as a stand-alone debate drill. Every brief separates individual-member tools, Council-majority powers, executive responsibilities, and state/federal limits.
Core disciplineFor every promise, identify the instrument, vote threshold, implementing agency, funding source, legal limit, and public metric.
Documents
Rent Stabilization
City-controlled action now, direct-cap legal uncertainty, and a state enabling strategy.
Municipal Social Housing
Land, funds, bonds, zoning, and a permanent city-controlled portfolio.
Vacant Homes Tax
Bill 46 precedent; enforceable definitions, exemptions, audits, and appeals.
Housing Subsidy Enforcement
Trace public benefits to units, rents, households, and affordability terms.
Replace Costly Sweeps
Budget, ordinance, land, audits, alternatives, and operational boundaries.
Fast, Reliable, Free TheBus
Fare authority, service funding, bus priority, and route-level accountability.
Unions and Worker Protections
Use city employment, contracts, public works, land, grants, and subsidies.
Sustainable Agriculture
OER mandate, city land, grants, procurement, and shared infrastructure.
City-Owned Grocery Pilot
Novel enterprise models, business plan, public subsidy, and pilot safeguards.
Progressive Property Tax
Classes, tiers, owner-occupant protection, and published incidence.
Anti-Corruption and Transparency
Lobbying, amendments, procurement, audits, ethics, and structural reform.
Scope and research approach
- Primary legal source: Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu dated January 16, 2025.
- State-law context: Hawaiʻi county powers and zoning statutes.
- Platform scope: eleven concrete policy priorities on Jason Liang’s platform.
- Examples: recent Council budgets, taxes, zoning, fares, labor agreements, ethics, audits, land actions, and food-system investments.
- Legal uncertainty is stated directly; rent stabilization and the grocery pilot are not presented as guaranteed or routine powers.
File manifest
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
01_honolulu_council_powers_training_manual.html | Read first: role, power map, vote math, limits, case studies, and platform crosswalk. |
02_brief_rent_control.html | City-controlled action now, direct-cap legal uncertainty, and a state enabling strategy. |
03_brief_expand_public_housing.html | Land, funds, bonds, zoning, and a permanent city-controlled portfolio. |
04_brief_vacant_homes_tax.html | Bill 46 precedent; enforceable definitions, exemptions, audits, and appeals. |
05_brief_affordable_housing_subsidy_enforcement.html | Trace public benefits to units, rents, households, and affordability terms. |
06_brief_end_homeless_sweeps.html | Budget, ordinance, land, audits, alternatives, and operational boundaries. |
07_brief_thebus_fast_reliable_free.html | Fare authority, service funding, bus priority, and route-level accountability. |
08_brief_unions_worker_protections.html | Use city employment, contracts, public works, land, grants, and subsidies. |
09_brief_sustainable_regenerative_agriculture.html | OER mandate, city land, grants, procurement, and shared infrastructure. |
10_brief_city_owned_grocery_stores.html | Novel enterprise models, business plan, public subsidy, and pilot safeguards. |
11_brief_progressive_property_tax.html | Classes, tiers, owner-occupant protection, and published incidence. |
12_brief_anti_corruption_transparency.html | Lobbying, amendments, procurement, audits, ethics, and structural reform. |
Primary source links
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