DeSoto heads City Council
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer
City Councilman John DeSoto will be leading the council again today for the first time since 1998, as a result of Jon Yoshimura's decision yesterday to step down as chairman.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
Today's meeting also marks the first time since November that the council is back up to its full complement of nine members. Ann Kobayashi was sworn in yesterday to fill the vacancy left by Andy Mirikitani, who resigned in December after being convicted of federal felony charges of public corruption.
Jon Yoshimura yesterday announced he was stepping down as City Council chairman at the end of the day. The vice chairman, John Desoto, will take over pending a formal appointment.
John Desoto now fills in after the resignation of chairman Jon Yoshimura.
New City Council member Ann Kobayashi prepares to take her chair, held out for her by Councilman Romy Cachola. Kobayashi, who was inaugurated yesterday, won the District 5 election last month to replace Andy Mirikitani, who is serving a prison sentence for public corruption.
Council members yesterday were still debating who will lead the various committees. DeSoto will take over today because he is vice chairman, pending a formal resolution to appoint him chairman.
DeSoto said people can expect a more open discussion of issues, even those that lack the support of the city administration. He said that in recent times, "if you weren't part of the majority, then things were very difficult to get on the calendar."
DeSoto served as council chairman from 1994 until 1998 before being ousted by Mufi Hannemann. Hannemann spent a year locked in frequent vocal battles with Mayor Jeremy Harris before being succeeded by Yoshimura in 1999.
DeSoto said he was approached by his colleagues to take on the chairmanship and is not doing it to increase his visibility as he considers running for lieutenant governor this year.
Yoshimura said yesterday that he would have liked to remain as chairman until summer, when he expects to devote more time to running for lieutenant governor.
He said the rumblings of his colleagues discussing new leadership for the past several months have been a distraction from doing the city's business.
Although there has been some criticism of Yoshimura's leadership in the past, the issue that pushed him out this time was a state disciplinary panel recommendation earlier this month that he be suspended from practicing law for six months for lying about a 1999 traffic accident.
"I think it's time to step down," Yoshimura said, acknowledging that he would have been ousted if he had tried to remain. "I've had my own problems."
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
