Honolulu's City Council picked a new chair today, but the vote came wrapped in accusations that the outcome was decided beforehand behind closed doors.

• Tyler Dos Santos-Tam took over as council chair, replacing Tommy Waters, and made history as the body's first openly gay chair.
• Supporters praised his record revitalizing downtown and Chinatown and said his new role is meaningful for LGBTQ youth.
• Critics say the leadership slate was actually settled days earlier when five council members met privately at a restaurant, which would break the state's open-meetings law; two members who were left out of that meeting are objecting, and the matter is already under state investigation.
• One lawmaker admitted a vote happened among that smaller group beforehand, while another council member disputed that characterization and pointed out the meeting was just a conversation in a public restaurant.
• The council's 6-2 vote today likely locks in Dos Santos-Tam's leadership for now, though no committees will meet in December and a separate formal vote is planned for early January.

Outlook: The state investigation into the alleged private meeting will determine whether this leadership change faces a legal challenge.