Education
BA In Psychology; M.Ed in Counseling; PhD in Psychology
Community/Military Service
30 yrs of coaching and presenting to school-aged children. Little League President. Boy Scout Master Assistant. Treasure Going Home Hawaii; Board Member Going Home Hawaii
YouTube
Campaign Phone
808-345-9280
Aloha Hawai’i Island,
On July 1, 2023, I left my position as Vice President of Hawai’i Island Community Health Center to run for Mayor of Hawai’i County. I’ve been meeting with thousands of community members and gaining support island wide. My three-part platform of LIVE, WORK, PLAY will focus on the needs of our residents. I come well qualified with the
-Most CEO Leadership Experience and over 30yrs of community service to Hawaii Island.
-Worked in 3 levels of Govt. (County, State, Federal) and Community.
-Expertise in Health, Mental Health, Addiction, Parenting, and Problem-Solving.
We need to reinvest in the safe streets program, and there’s so much infrastructure issues, especially around wastewater, but I’d like to also address transportation and connectivity in 3 ways..
1. Coordinate with the state Department of Transportation to prioritize alternate and evacuation routes for isolated communities.
2. Expand our Mass Transit Agency with a larger vehicle fleet servicing more routes.
3. Work with the Hawai‘i Broadband and Digital Equity Office to roll out wired and wireless technologies where they are needed most, especially in rural areas.
We need a local government that values its workforce and recognizes that our County is only as good as our employees. Investing in adequate training, resources, and opportunities for growth will pay dividends to both the County and the community we are serving. As a former public sector employee of 15 years, I understand the needs of employees. With my most recent experience as a vice president of business development, I know what it takes to meet those needs and create a positive work environment. Fix the inside first then work with the business community to fix the outside. Employees Matter!
4 Ways
-Streamline the permitting process through third-party review of certain building permits and exempting small-scale home renovations from permit requirements.
-Allow local families to add an ʻohana unit on their property in certain areas for their children or kūpuna.
-Strengthen the Office of Housing and Community Development to ensure real affordable housing growth, not tax credit sleight-of-hand by developers.
-Explore the use of alternative construction models to increase housing supply.
Education
JD, Whittier Law School;
BA, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Community/Military Service
Roth is a founding member of the Hawai‘i Island Visitor Aloha Society (VASH), the Community Coalition for Neighborhood Safety, NexTech STEM opportunities for youth, and has helped bring the Citizens Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to Hawai‘i Island.
He is dedicated to helping young people achieve their goals. Roth is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island and of Camp Agape Big Island, a four-day camp for children of incarcerated parents. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Hilo and of Hilo Exchange Club.
He also volunteers with RYLA, the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. In the past, he served on the YMCA corporate board, and an officer of Turning Point for Families.
Campaign Phone
(808) 936-7679
I am seeking reelection to further our administration's commitment to creating a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island—a place where generations of our keiki can prosper. Since taking office, we have significantly expanded the affordable housing pipeline, decreased homelessness and poverty numbers, invested heavily in large-scale infrastructure projects islandwide, paved more roads than any administration prior, and made our natural and cultural resources a priority by working toward a clean energy transition and implementing Hawaiian Cultural protocols county-wide.
The largest problem facing our County is years of deferred maintenance, resulting in aging infrastructure. To address this, we have released an RFP to overhaul the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant, our County's largest Public Works project. This modernization will improve efficiency, increase capacity, and prevent environmental disasters. We are also investing in parks, roads, and public safety infrastructure. By increasing budgets and focusing on long-term maintenance plans, we aim to provide safe, sustainable facilities for our community, enhancing overall quality of life.
Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that our working class is thriving. We’ve achieved this through continued Capitol Improvement Project investments, streamlining the building permitting process, and developing affordable housing. We have also led the charge on broadband connectivity and spurred the transition to a clean energy economy, supporting quality jobs of the future in the STEAM industry. Through these efforts, we have been the only County in the State to see a decrease in our ALICE or working poor population.
We’ve adopted a comprehensive housing approach with key initiatives. We transformed our building permitting process from the worst in the nation to the best in the state, issuing more permits than any other county. Our affordable housing pipeline grew from 1,200 homes in 2020 to over 8,100, targeting low-income and working-class households. We fully utilized 2,300 housing vouchers and provided Emergency Rental Assistance to thousands of families. Homelessness decreased by 28% with improved services, and we are identifying sites for kauhale projects to provide more emergency shelters.
