#Maui County Council

Maui County Council Member Kauanoe Batangan has proposed an across-the-board 1.25% budget cut for non-first-responder departments that would yield somewhat more than $5 million in savings from Mayor Richard Bissen’s fiscal 2027 $1.61 billion budget proposal.

The Maui Division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 142 has officially endorsed Bobby Pahia for the Maui County Council Upcountry residency seat, citing his deep roots in the community, lifelong commitment to working families, and strong alignment with the union’s priorities.

The Maui Police Department is requesting a $12.2 million budget increase next fiscal year, or 11.6% more than this year, to address staffing shortages and modernize public safety technology across Maui County.

The Maui County Department of Public Works now has a single engineer working to manage two disasters — the recovery from the August 2023 wildfires and the recent Kona Low storms.

Local farmers told Maui County Council members Thursday that the government is falling short of providing island agriculture the help needed to sustain operations. Representatives of the Maui Humane Society also warned that the island’s only open-admission shelter is facing a “perfect storm” of rising costs and record demand.

Waiving bus fares for Maui County employees would have a “minimal impact” on revenue received from the Maui Bus ridership, Department of Transportation Director Marc Takamori told council members Tuesday.

The Maui County Council celebrated local high school wrestling champions Thursday before grappling with a contentious request for an affordable housing project refund.

The Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee launched its first day of fiscal year 2027 deliberations on Wednesday in Council Chambers, beginning with an overview from the Department of Finance.

University of Hawaiʻi economist Carl Bonham warned Maui County Council members Wednesday that a stagnant job market and a precarious reliance on wealthy tourists leave the county vulnerable as it begins annual budget deliberations.

Mayor Richard Bissen presented a $1.616 billion proposed fiscal 2027 budget to the Maui County Council on Wednesday morning, prioritizing affordable housing, Lahaina wildfire recovery and water system improvements.

The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee conducted a preliminary review last week of the Department of Housing in preparation for the Council’s annual budget deliberations.

The Maui Planning Commission called for an environmental impact review for the proposed 1,608-unit Hoʻonani Village development in Puʻunēnē, and developers have delivered a draft study with public comments due May 7. The state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development published the three-volume document Monday, initiating a 45-day public review period for the project planned […]

The Maui County Council voted 8-0 Friday to confirm Jacky Takakura as planning director and 6-2 to appoint Margaret Willis as director of the Department of Human Concerns.

The Maui County Council voted 8-0 this morning to approve a reduced $12 million emergency appropriation to fund ongoing repair efforts and rising overtime costs from what is now being called March Kona Low Storm No. 1.

Maui County planners are managing a “relentless” amount of work, including permit applications for Lahaina rebuilding, while operating with 15 staff vacancies, acting Planning Director Jacky Takakura told Maui County Council members Wednesday.

Mayor Richard Bissen is requesting $15 million from the Maui County Council to cover emergency repairs and rising operational costs following the recent destructive Kona low storm. The Council will take up the emergency funding request during an emergency meeting at 8:45 a.m. Friday. In a letter sent Monday asking council members to hold a […]

Measures would require helmets for underage riders and bar “exhibition riding” like wheelies and stunts.

A proposal to establish new hotel zoning districts — a move that would allow roughly 4,500 short-term vacation rentals to survive a looming phase-out — faces an uncertain future after the measure was resoundingly rejected last month by the Maui Planning Commission.

The eight-bedroom, 12.5-bathroom home, which for years spurred community criticism over its size and potential use as a vacation rental, is offering 25% shares for $3.55 million apiece.

East Maui residents can review government spending plans and environmental threats when the Haʻikū Community Association hosts its first meeting of the year from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Haʻikū Community Center. Maui County Council Members Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins and Shane Sinenci are scheduled to attend. Uʻu-Hodgins holds the Makawao-Haʻikū-Pāʻia residency area seat, and […]