The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu Charter Commission on Nov. 24, 2025.
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Nov. 24, 2025, 2:30 p.m.
Honolulu Hale
To: Honolulu Charter Commission
Dawn Szewczyk, Chair
Sommerset Yamamoto, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: P072 — RELATING TO THE HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION
Aloha Chair Szewczyk, Vice-Chair Yamamoto and other members of the Commission,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports proposed charter amendment P072, which would create additional oversight for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
P072 proposes to require voter approval of all bond issuances above $100 million; mandate biennial financial reviews and performance audits; restrict the use of debt to only capital expenditures; create a citizen oversight board to review HART’s expenditures; and make other changes that would improve HART’s transparency and accountability.
Imposing any of these oversight mechanisms would help mitigate the impact that construction of the Skyline has on taxpayer resources and incentivize HART to be more transparent in its business decisions.
The rail is already a decade behind schedule and close to $5 billion over budget. Regardless of whether future expansions are approved, HART’s operations should be more closely scrutinized.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
