Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi General Election on Nov. 3 to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Guy Enriques, nonpartisan candidate for the office of Hawaiʻi County Council Member District 6, which covers the rural southern and western portions of the Big Island, including the communities of Volcano, Pāhala, Nāʻālehu, Ocean View, Captain Cook, Kealakekua, and Hōnaunau.

His opponents are Zed Kaʻapana Aki, Justin Canelas, Kyle Kepano Jones and Jason Masters.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Election Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of council member? And why do you want the job?

The reasons I believe I’m best suited to be the representative for Hawaiʻi County Council District 6 based on my extensive leadership experience. (I have been a) teacher for 10 years, a successful DI Oregon State University head women’s volleyball coach. For 40 years I have run the largest most successful volleyball team camps in Oregon and Washington, I am the founder and tournament director of Hawaii Island Labor Day Classic – the largest high school volleyball tournament in the state. I am a former council member for District 6 — responsible for building Ka’u District Gym.

What is the biggest issue facing Hawai‘i County, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

The biggest issue facing Hawaiʻi County is affordable housing. Identify County or State Land, build affordable workforce housing. Make a strong effort to get DHHL to put Native Hawaiians on land that is available and already dedicated to them. Support local first-time buyers with low down payment assistance or low interest county-backed loans. Focus on workforce and family housing rather than luxury developments.

Here’s one question from a constituent: How would you make it safer to get in and out of Puna?

Puna is going to grow and the issue will only become more difficult, dangerous and time consuming. The county needs to seriously commit to developing a secondary permanent route in and out of Puna. Enough talks, suggestions and studies have been done and the county and state need to move beyond research and begin implementation.

The county’s Homelessness and Housing Fund is due to expire in 2027 and some council members are skeptical that the fund has helped solve the problem. Would you vote to extend the fund, and what would you do to come to grips with this persistent problem?

Homelessness is more than a housing problem. It is often tied to mental health, substance abuse, economic hardship, family instability and the high cost of living. Before voting to extend the fund, I would want to know whether the fund had a high or low degree of effectiveness. I would consider how the fund addressed mental health and substance abuse in relation to homelessness. Throwing money at the problem without measuring outcomes is not a solution.

Vacation rentals — illegal or not — are often blamed for reducing availability of affordable housing on the Big Island. What steps should the county take to deal with the proliferation of vacation rentals and create more affordable housing?

Vacation rentals are part of our tourism economy and serve a viable purpose. However, affordable housing should be a priority. We cannot regulate our way out of affordable housing but here are some possible options: encourage vacation rentals to rent long-term to local residents; identify state or county land not currently being purposed, and build affordable housing; speed up permitting to build more housing.

Half of Hawai‘i’s cesspools are on the Big Island – an estimated 49,000 –  and Mayor Kimo Alameda has already said the county will not meet the state’s 2050 deadline to convert them to cleaner systems. What steps should the county take to address the cesspool issue?

The issue is both an affordable issue (cost to convert) and an environmental issue. The focus needs to be on assisting people to make the conversion. Focus on high impact areas first (coastal areas, drinking water areas, areas of wetlands or streams), areas that pose the most threat. Work with the federal government, seek federal assistance loans or grant programs, low-interest-rate loans. If we know we will not meet the timeline, work with government to create a realistic plan for the future.

What specific steps should the county take to relieve traffic congestion in and around Kailua-Kona and along the Puna-Kea‘au-Hilo corridor?

Please see previous response on Puna-Kea’au traffic.

Investors have sunk more than $500 million into the Pepe‘ekeo bioenergy plant known as Hu Honua or Honua Ola, but the plant has still been unable to begin producing power. Should the biomass energy plant be allowed to start operating? Why or why not?

Hawaiʻi needs to be self-reliant on fuel. A decision based on current facts should be made as to whether this plant can meet the needs for fuel production as planned. If so, move forward. If not consider other options that might reduce the loss of effort, time and money.

Both the state and county are showing interest in expanding production of geothermal energy on Hawaiʻi island. What is your position on geothermal power, and what constraints should be placed on it?

Geothermal energy might work for other places and countries, however, there is strong opposition from the communities that I represent against geothermal. As an advocate for my community, I would not support geothermal in my district.

What specific plans do you have to improve disaster preparedness and response on the Big Island?

My biggest challenge will be to solve the issue of flooding on the Kawa and Honuapo flats in District 6. These floods seem to happen more frequently and present a huge emergency issue where people may not be able to get home from work, get to the hospital in emergencies, etc. Pāhala has a huge hurricane shelter and the hospital and people living south of this area would be cut off from these services.

What should Hawaiʻi County do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting and adapting to it?

I believe we all recognize that climate change is already upon us. Flooding seems to be the most common destructive force affecting the Big Island so my suggestions are: control upland building, grubbing and clearing; make sure our drainage systems are clear; keep bridges well maintained, research previously heavily flooded areas and create a plan to prevent future flooding.

Hawai‘i has a long-stated goal of growing more of its own food. What would you do to further that effort toward increased food sustainability?

District 6 is a majority of agriculture lands. I would highly promote creating a Designated Agricultural Committee that can consolidate our agricultural products (ranching, fishing, fruits, vegetables, coffee, flowers, macadamia, honey, etc) and create various options for marketing; eco-tourism, buy/sell local, creating an app on social media to make products available locally. Example; A fisherman catches 10 ono, puts it out on the app and locals can purchase first.