This is an uncommonly difficult time for the City and County of Honolulu, and the lack of a ninth member on the City Council is keenly felt.

In the next week Windward O'ahu will decide which person in a field of 11 contenders should fill the seat left open by the death of Barbara Marshall.

The Honolulu Advertiser endorses John Henry Felix, a veteran of that job, as the contender with the business resume and fiscal acumen that his constituents, and Honolulu residents in general, need the most in this time of dire financial crisis.

Felix's strong and varied business background and community connections should serve him well in this role.

Besides sitting on the council from 1987 to 2002, he recently served on a business panel advising the mayor on the current budget, where he was tasked with finding efficiencies to save taxpayers' money. With the budget and the economy clearly the largest challenge facing the City Council, Felix will have no trouble getting up to speed in this regard.

He has chaired all the council committees; among other posts in and around City Hall, he has headed the Honolulu Police Commission, parks department and the Board of Water Supply. Clearly, he knows the municipal ropes.

But in the midst of a severe recession, it may be Felix' deep experience as a business executive that will most surely stand him in good stead. At age 78, he still holds a top job as CEO of Hawaii Medical Assurance Association and understands the challenges of navigating a company through an economic downturn.

He has built and then sold successful businesses throughout his life. Other credits include CEO of Eagle Investments Inc.; chairman and managing partner of Paradise Memorial Park & Mortuary and vice chairman of Best Bridal Hawaii. Previously he served as executive vice president of Outrigger Hotels and on the boards of Hawaii National Bank and Pioneer Savings Bank. He also has experience with organized labor.

Missteps invariably come in such a long career, and Felix has dealt with his. He rightly was criticized for skirting regulations that barred a home-based wedding-chapel business during his tenure on the council; he paid the fines and corrected the violations.

It's something he's reckoned with repeatedly during this race and likely will have to continue doing so, given his position on another land-use hot potato in his district. Felix opposes any expansion of bed-and-breakfast and transient vacation units in residential zones beyond those grandfathered in 20 years ago, when the City Council passed a moratorium. One of the great challenges of his next four years will be to deal with vacation-rental owners who believe they, too, deserve a way to find accommodation within city regulations.

Felix also must balance the needs of three disparate communities in his district. His long record of accomplishments in the community-service sector should help him re-establish himself as an advocate for his constituents in Honolulu Hale. Most recently he was honored as Hawai'i's representative to the national Jefferson Awards program celebrating the nation's top volunteers, of which The Advertiser is a sponsor.

This unusually crowded field of candidates includes Marshall's former aide J. Ikaika Anderson, who is familiar with the most recent district developments. Although Anderson shows potential for a political career, Felix is far better equipped to handle the job at this critical juncture.

There are some other newcomers who stand out. Ellen Pohai Ryan, active within the Democratic party and the Kailua business community, shows promise. So does Keoki Leong, similarly working behind the scenes in Republican circles. And Tracy Nakano Bean, a complete elective newcomer, articulated a fresh perspective at various community forums.

The Advertiser looks forward to seeing their political careers grow in the future. But at this time, on a council of only nine that is grappling with a dizzying array of challenges during an especially turbulent time, Windward O'ahu needs the advocacy that an unquestionably seasoned veteran like Felix can provide.

SPECIAL ELECTION

Voters in Windward O'ahu (City Council District 3) have until 6 p.m.Thursday to get ballots to the Office of the City Clerk; they must be received either by mail by that time, or may be hand-carried to the office, in Honolulu Hale.

Voters can cast a ballot electronically, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow and Tuesday, at polling stations:

• Pali Golf Course banquet room, second floor.

• City Hall.

For more information call 768-3800.