Public invited to inauguration of incoming Hawaiʻi County officials

The public is invited — and encouraged — to the changing of the guard today for Hawaiʻi County as top leadership of the executive and legislative branches of government are sworn into office.

Inaugural ceremonies begin at noon at the Kaleiopapa Convention Center on the grounds of OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa, located at 78-128 ʻEhukai St., in Keauhou.

The elected officials to be sworn in are:

• Mayor-elect C. Kimo Alameda.
• Prosecuting Attorney-elect Kelden B.A. Waltjen.

Hawaiʻi County Council members

• Michelle M. Galimba, District 6.
• James E. Hustace, District 9.
• Holeka Goro Inaba, District 8.
• Jenn Kagiwada, District 2.
• Matt Kāneali’i-Kleinfelder, District 5.
• Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, District 4.
• Heather L. Kimball, District 1.
• Dennis “Fresh” Onishi, District 3.
• Rebecca Villegas, District 7.

Third Circuit Court Chief Judge Wendy M. DeWeese will administer the oaths of office.

Hawaiʻi County Clerk Jon Henricks said in a post on the county clerk’s Facebook page about the inauguration that this is a “momentus occasion, which honors those who have been elected and the peoople of Hawaiʻi Island, who are the foundation of our county government.”

The program will feature addresses by Alameda and Waltjen after each takes their oath of office. Inaba, who will be the next chairman of the Hawaiʻi County Council, will also speak after council members are sworn in.

There will be a hula performance by Hunnay Demello, as well as prelude, processional and recessional music played by the West Hawaiʻi County Band, among other pomp and circumstance throughout the event.

Click here to view the program.

Alameda will be just the second Big Island mayor to be inaugurated in West Hawaiʻi.

Outgoing Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth, elected in 2020, was the first when he was inaugurated Dec. 7 that year at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center.

Mayor-elect Alameda said via text Monday morning that his first full day in office as mayor on Tuesday also would be spent in Kona.

Anyone unable to attend today’s inauguration in person can watch via livestream on YouTube, the Nā Leo TV website or Nā Leo TV Channel 55.

The final meeting of the 2022-24 session of the Hawaiʻi County Council was conducted this morning, with members honoring outgoing Hilo Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy and Kohala Councilwoman Cindy Evans.

Members also thanked Council Chairwoman Heather Kimball for her leadership during the past 2 years.

To watch or download the final meeting of the council’s 2022-24 session, click here.

The council’s 2024-26 session gets underway later today with its first meeting at 4 p.m. in council chambers at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, during which members will adopt rules of procedure and organization as well as officially appoint:

• Chairman and vice chairman.
• Committee members and their leadership.
• Hawai‘i County representative and alternate representative to the Hawai‘i State Association of Counties Executive Committee
• Deputy county clerk.

To watch the first meeting of the new council, click here.