City’s Office of Economic Revitalization to cease operations next week
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – After six years, the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization is ceasing operations next Friday, Aug. 14.
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The closure was announced Friday and comes after the Honolulu City Council and Mayor Rick Blangiardi clashed over funding after an audit that found OER was not meeting all of its goals.
The Honolulu City Council stripped the office of $1.5 million, or 15 positions, in the 2026-27 $4.9 million city budget, which Blangiardi later vetoed.
On July 8, the city council overrode his veto and approved the budget. An official statement from the mayor said in part:
“The Honolulu City Council made a reckless and shortsighted decision to override my line-item veto and effectively dismantle the Office of Economic Revitalization by eliminating 15 jobs and stripping the department of its ability to carry out the work the people of Oahu asked us to do.”
OER said the remaining six of 24 full-time employees will transition to different departments across the city.
Due to the closure, the following programs have been suspended indefinitely:
A list of grants and projects that will .
OER said during the last six years, the office advanced more than 30 major initiatives, built partnerships with more than 200 organizations and directly served more than 12,200 beneficiaries through capital investments and capacity-building programs supporting Oahu’s small businesses, farmers and working residents.
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