A Honolulu City Council committee recommended Mike Formby, the former city transportation director, to temporarily fill the District IV seat. 

The interim will serve until the new councilmember is chosen during the special election in April. 

The full council still has to vote on Formby’s appointment on Tuesday. 

The final vote was unanimous after motions to appoint two other nominees, Kahi Pacarro and Rich Turbin, failed. 

District IV, which stretches from Ala Moana to Hawaii Kai has been vacant since Jan. 2. 

On Monday, the council committee went through 19 candidates who could temporarily fill the seat. 

“There are so many good candidates who are deserving and capable,” said Council Chair Ann Kobayashi.

“But we have to choose one, and that’s the difficult part,” she said. 

Formby is also a former member of the board for HART and was chief of staff for former US Representative (D) Colleen Hanabusa. 

Councilmembers were in agreement of his former experience. 

“His deep knowledge of the budget and things that we have moving forward, I think he would be one of our best candidates,” said city councilmember Heidi Tsuneyoshi. 

“Of any of the candidates being considered I think Mike has the knowledge of the city from both the departmental side as well as council side and he knows each member really well,” said council member Joey Manahan. 

“I wasn’t familiar with the process and I don’t really have any opposition of him serving at any capacity and I think he would make a great addition to this council,” he said. 

Formby said he didn’t seek the interim position at first. 

“I felt like if people liked my past work and felt I was deserving that someone would nominate me,” he said. “So I waited and when the calls came, I expressed an interest in serving the community.”

He said he’ll get right to work if appointed on Tuesday. 

“If I’m honored with the vote tomorrow the plan is to put my head down, contact the neighborhood board chairs and attend neighborhood boards, reach out to the community and identify their priorities for budget and get to work, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. 

Formby’s lived in the Kaimuki area since 2005. 

The full council will vote at 2 p.m. Tuesday.