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 Justin Canelas, 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, Guy Enriques, 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?

During more than seven years in Ka’ū, I’ve helped secure $1.5 million for youth workforce and sustainability initiatives, serve as Environmental Management Commissioner for District 6, and run a permaculture farm with my wife. A degree in public affairs and a decade in philanthropy means I know how to deliver results. I’m running because Ka’ū deserves a representative who serves the community – not outside or corporate interests.

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?

Food security is our biggest challenge. The Big Island has the land and climate to feed our residents but lacks coordination, processing infrastructure and investment. In my first six months, I’d push for a centralized farmer database so government can properly invest in local producers, and develop public-private partnerships to build value-added processing facilities – commercial canning, juicing, dehydrating – moving us toward real food sovereignty.

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

Puna residents have lived with a single highway in and out for too long – the 2018 eruption showed exactly how dangerous that is. I’d push to keep the alternate route study funded and moving with no more delays. Near-term improvements to Highway 130 are a start but they’re a Band-Aid. Puna deserves a real second route, and the council needs to be a reliable partner to state lawmakers to make it happen.

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?

I’d vote to extend the fund with a full audit attached. As former program manager for the Denver VOICE – a street newspaper providing unhoused individuals low-barrier income and support – I know compassion and opportunity must anchor any real solution. But the fund alone can’t solve this. Mental health care, substance abuse support and affordable housing are root causes that need to be addressed alongside the fund as part of a serious countywide strategy.

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?

When over 25% of short-term vacation rental owners hold 20 or more properties, that’s not supplemental income – it’s extraction. Local resources and wealth are leaving the island while families can’t find housing. I support hosted STVRs where the owner lives on-site, but unhosted, multi-property operators should not be allowed. I’d also push to allow farmers who are actively farming to host camping or short-term guests – farmers need supplemental income streams which to me is a community benefit, not a problem.

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?

As Environmental Management Commissioner for District 6 this is something I work on directly. The blanket 2050 conversion mandate isn’t realistic. The county needs to be strategic: prioritize Zone 1 cesspools actively contaminating coral reefs, drinking water and coastlines. The EPA AOC work in Ka’ū is a model. Beyond mandated conversions, we should invest in R1 and R2 recycled water systems that generate revenue for agricultural and municipal reuse rather than just treating waste as a problem to bury.

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

Traffic in Kona and along the Puna-Keaʻau-Hilo corridor is largely a state DOT issue, but the county has real levers. Fix Hele-On first – the GPS tracking app exists but riders report it’s unreliable and buses regularly don’t show up. Beyond that, I’d push to expand park-and-ride lots, support a rideshare program for regular commuting corridors, improve signal coordination at key Kona bottlenecks and advocate to the state for dedicated corridor investments in both regions.

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?

No. The PUC has already rejected this plant twice, citing significant greenhouse gas emissions and a carbon sequestration plan they called speculative. That’s the right call. Burning our way to clean energy isn’t a solution. I’d rather see this facility converted to something that doesn’t pollute: anaerobic digestion, green hydrogen production, or a composting and waste processing hub that actually serves our circular economy goals without harming the community around it.

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?

I support what we already have, but I’m skeptical of major expansion when solar, wind and battery storage are proven, cheaper and less disruptive. Puna residents already deal with air quality impacts from the existing plant. And in Ka’ū, Kānaka Maoli community members have been clear – they want Hawaiian lands used for housing, not corporate energy extraction. Before drilling new holes in the ground, we should be maximizing the renewable resources we already know work that are less expensive.

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

The Kona low storms and earthquake showed again how hard rural communities get hit and how slow recovery comes. My focus would be three things: establishing community resilience hubs – neighborhood centers stocked with supplies and ready to coordinate response; building a county registry of elderly, disabled, and transportation-limited residents so Civil Defense knows exactly who needs help first; and investing in local food production as disaster infrastructure.

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

At the heart of my campaign is building a circular economy – and that’s also our best climate strategy. Commercial composting at scale means we stop importing fertilizer and build real food security. A thriving reuse and repair economy means we’re self-sufficient when supply chains fail. We should be aggressively investing in solar, wind and EV infrastructure — but that only works if we get off fossil fuels. And done right, the green economy creates lasting, meaningful jobs stewarding our ʻāina.

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?

We have incredible agricultural potential, but without the right infrastructure it stays unrealized. Local farmers and ranchers need processing facilities — canning, juicing, dehydrating and local butchers — so our harvest doesn’t leave the island raw or unprocessed. We need distribution logistics to get food to market, and a farmer database to coordinate real investment. I’d cut the red tape strangling small processors and expand the import replacement program so local producers can compete.