2026-09-23 Special Executive Management

The Honolulu City Council's Special Executive Management Committee convened on September 23, 2026, to discuss a proposed amendment aimed at restricting taxpayer-funded mass communications during election periods. The measure seeks to prevent the use or perception of public resources for electoral influence, establishing clear blackout periods and definitions for mass communication. Testimony from Sandy Ma, Executive Director of the Honolulu Ethics Commission, raised concerns about the proposed threshold of 200 recipients for mass communications, noting federal standards use 500, and highlighted the need to coordinate timing with the vote-by-mail schedule managed by the Clerk's Office. The committee acknowledged these points and recommended deferring the measure to allow further consultation with the Clerk's Office and refinement of the policy to ensure clarity and consistency with election timelines. No procurement, contracting, or budgetary decisions were made during this meeting.