One of the great strengths Barbara Marshall brought to her work as a member of the Honolulu City Council was her background as a journalist.

The former council chairwoman, who lost her long battle with cancer on Sunday, established her reputation upon her arrival to Hawai'i 30 years ago as a TV reporter, ultimately becoming an anchor at KHON Channel 2 News.

And it was the dedication to ferreting out the facts and the wide-ranging perspectives on difficult issues that she brought with her from that first profession as she embarked on a new one.

Marshall met regularly with residents in the Windward O'ahu areas she served, so she knew how constituents felt about city services and policies affecting their home towns.

One example: Marshall immersed herself in the knotty topic of vacation rentals. The solution is still under debate, but the former zoning committee chairwoman understood the nuances and challenges. She applied that rational analysis to a new approach for enforcing laws on the books and allowing a limited expansion of permits.

That's the hard, gritty work of city governance. Marshall often found herself in the swing-vote position on contentious issues and was known among her colleagues for being true to her convictions, despite the political pressure.

The council has issued a good plan for mail-in and walk-in voting to encourage maximum participation at less expense than a one-day special election. Now the district needs participation from leaders who can fill the vacancy. Windward constituents deserve a chance to evaluate a slate of candidates to find one who is able to serve the community's needs as well as Marshall did.