You might have heard about yesterday’s Honolulu City Council discussion about whether to ask the city’s auditor to look into the millions spent on PR for the rail project. It was on the television news and the front page of the Star-Advertiser‘s local section.

But Civil Beat does things a little differently, and left the meeting with a slew of questions: What does it mean for the council to sic the auditor on an agency? Is that a last resort to get answers? Is it a political maneuver? Does overplaying that card diminish the auditor’s independent credibility? Where does the auditor fit into the city’s power structure?

Nick Grube and I start to ask and answer those questions today, and we’ll keep digging into the issue going forward. 

For now, read the story: Honolulu Council Members Push for Audits of HART, Sewer