It's time to re-think the structure of O'ahu's neighborhood boards. Last week's board elections made that abundantly clear.

Of the 444 seats up for grabs, 62 had no candidates running; they'll have to be appointed. Nearly half of the successful candidates ran unopposed. And more than 110 candidates won their seats with fewer than five votes.

Our neighborhood boards play a vital role in grass-roots politics. They provide important input for the City Council, the state Legislature and other state and county offices. They provide a forum for folks to raise community-based issues that might otherwise go undetected. And they provide a venue for communities to hear about important projects or policies that could have a direct impact on their neighborhoods.

That's why it's time to revamp our boards so that they operate more efficiently and inspire greater community participation.

We have 32 boards, with 138 subdistricts. Some boards have at-large seats, others have seats for each subdistrict, and some have a combination of both. That chaotic structure creates confusion during elections. And it's simply not cost-effective. The Neighborhood Commission office generates 86 different ballots, spending about $300,000 each election.

The commission must look at reducing the number of boards, with an eye on balance. East Honolulu has three boards covering Hawai'i Kai to Kahala. Kailua and some communities in burgeoning West O'ahu have just one each.

The commission must also consider reducing the number of board seats and eliminating subdistricts in favor of at-large posts. Smaller-sized boards would make meetings more efficient, with boards more easily able to achieve quorums and streamline agendas.

With our high cost of living, many residents take on two or more jobs and balance those responsibilities with family time. Carving out a slice of time each month to attend neighborhood board meetings is a challenge.

Neighborhood boards owe it to the community to make sure the meetings are run efficiently and effectively, making the most of everyone's time.

Making meetings a positive and enriching experience will put us on the right path toward greater community participation. That's what counts.