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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 19, 2008

City managing director resigning

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

The top appointed official in Mayor Mufi Hannemann's administration is pursuing the No. 1 job at the Board of Water Supply after telling the administration Monday that he wants to return to work as an engineer.

Hannemann named Wayne Hashiro to the $120,000-a-year post of managing director in January 2006, and the City Council confirmed his nomination four months later. Hashiro said he has an interview with the Board of Water Supply scheduled for Tuesday.

"My loyalty is to the mayor, and as long as he wants to improve where we live I will be a supporter. I think I can be much more helpful to the administration on the engineering side," said Hashiro. "I find the work very satisfying here as an MD, but my background is engineering. I enjoy the planning and the strategy and engineering solutions to problems and getting the work done."

Hashiro had previously headed Hannemann's Department of Design and Construction.

Hannemann said he has been approached by people about the managing director position and is considering candidates.

"His heart is in engineering and he has expressed a desire to apply (for the Board of Water Supply)," Hannemann said of Hashiro. "He has been great for the city but this is an opportunity that he has been looking into."

Among the candidates to replace Hashiro is former state Rep. Kirk W. Caldwell, D-24th (Manoa), who worked to help get the city's $4.28 billion commuter rail project approved by voters.

In July, Caldwell tried to run for the council seat vacated at the last minute by Ann H. Kobayashi, who left to challenge Hannemann for mayor.

But Caldwell was disqualified Aug. 1 after the city clerk's office ruled that his nomination papers were invalid because he had not properly withdrawn from his House re-election campaign by the July 22 filing deadline.

Caldwell said he developed close working ties with the mayor while leading efforts of Go Rail Go, a pro-rail transit community group that advocated for passage of the project.

"I told him I wanted to get back into public service. We talked about working together. I said I'd be interested in managing director or working in any other capacity with the city," said Caldwell, an attorney at Ashford and Wriston. "I do like working with the mayor."

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.