What does a YES vote on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 mean?

The charter would require yearly funding for a Food Security Fund, without a required real property tax rate increase to pay for it, to support programs and grants providing locally grown or produced food to O‘ahu residents (non-local food only in an emergency).

What does a NO vote on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 mean?

The charter would not require yearly funding for a Food Security Fund.

Would my property tax go up?

The question says the fund would be paid for without simultaneously increasing real property tax rates; the money comes from a larger set-aside of existing property tax revenue.

Could the fund buy food from outside Hawaii?

Only during a declared emergency, and only a limited portion of the fund, when necessary.

How many votes does Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Hawaii adds a second test for constitutional amendments: YES must also equal at least half of all ballots cast in the election, so leaving it blank works against it.

Should I vote yes or no on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 — Food Security Fund

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:33 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026

What it does: Should the Charter require annual funding for a Food Security Fund, without having to simultaneously increase real property tax rates to fund the appropriation, to support programs and grants that provide locally grown or produced food to Oahu residents, as well as non-local food only in an emergency?
A YES vote means: The charter would require yearly funding for a Food Security Fund, without a required real property tax rate increase to pay for it, to support programs and grants providing locally grown or produced food to O‘ahu residents (non-local food only in an emergency).
A NO vote means: The charter would not require yearly funding for a Food Security Fund.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Hawaii adds a second test for constitutional amendments: YES must also equal at least half of all ballots cast in the election, so leaving it blank works against it.
Left–right lean: Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

The Honolulu City Charter requires the City to fund five special funds each year: the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund, Affordable Housing Fund, Climate Resiliency Fund, Honolulu Zoo Fund and Grants in Aid Fund.
Together they receive 2.5% of estimated real property tax revenues each year.
The Charter has no Food Security Fund and no required funding for programs that improve access to locally grown or produced food.

If it passes

The Charter would create a sixth special fund, the Food Security Fund.
Required annual funding for the special funds would rise from 2.5% to 3% of estimated real property tax revenues, split equally among the six funds. The question states this would be done without simultaneously raising property tax rates to pay for it.
The fund would support City programs, grants and subsidies that improve access to locally grown or produced food and strengthen Oahu's food supply. During a declared emergency, a limited portion could buy non-local food when necessary.

Example

Split equally, 3% across six funds is 0.5% of estimated property tax revenue per fund, the same share each of today's five funds gets from 2.5%. So the existing funds keep their share, and the extra 0.5% goes to the new Food Security Fund. (source)

Who would notice

Oahu residents, local farmers and food producers, and organizations that could receive food security grants, plus the City budget, since a larger share of property tax revenue would be set aside for the special funds.

How it got here

The amendment is one of the proposed amendments to the Honolulu City Charter on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the explanatory statements in the State voter guide were provided by the City's Department of Corporation Counsel.

Written by SpectrumVote from 1 linked sources (1). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

The 2025-2026 Honolulu Charter Commission, which the charter requires every ten years, approved this amendment as proposal P119 on July 20, 2026, according to the commission's final proposal document.

The charter now requires annual funding for five special funds, the Clean Water and Natural Lands, Affordable Housing, Climate Resiliency, Honolulu Zoo and Grants in Aid funds, according to the city's explanation in the state voter guide.

The amendment would add a sixth fund for food security and raise the total set aside for the special funds from 2.5% to 3% of estimated real property tax revenues, split equally among the six, according to the explanation.

The fund would support programs that improve access to locally grown or produced food, and in a declared emergency a limited portion could buy other food.

Put on the ballot by Honolulu Charter Commission, July 20, 2026 (proposal P119; vote tally not stated in the posted proposal).

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3, official source 4.

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Honolulu County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

Next elections here

2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Honolulu County ballots

All Honolulu County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 mean?: The charter would require yearly funding for a Food Security Fund, without a required real property tax rate increase to pay for it, to support programs and grants providing locally grown or produced food to O‘ahu residents (non-local food only in an emergency).
What does a NO vote on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 mean?: The charter would not require yearly funding for a Food Security Fund.
Would my property tax go up?: The question says the fund would be paid for without simultaneously increasing real property tax rates; the money comes from a larger set-aside of existing property tax revenue.
Could the fund buy food from outside Hawaii?: Only during a declared emergency, and only a limited portion of the fund, when necessary.
How many votes does Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Hawaii adds a second test for constitutional amendments: YES must also equal at least half of all ballots cast in the election, so leaving it blank works against it.
Should I vote yes or no on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Honolulu County ballot.

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections