#Maui Mayor

The Lahainaluna High School once provided fruit, vegetables and livestock produce to its students and community. Its vast agricultural grounds received a manicure from local students, organizations and volunteers on Wednesday, bringing the school one step closer to its goal of replanting Lahaina.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr. delivered his 2024 State of the County Address on Friday evening from the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. During his address, the mayor focused on wildfire recovery efforts and discussed housing solutions as the county continues to find its way through the rebuilding process and economic recovery following the August 2023 wildfires.

Mayor Richard Bissen’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meetings resume this week at 6 p.m. in Kula on Tuesday (tonight) and at 5:30 p.m. in Lahaina on Wednesday after being canceled last week due to the kona low weather system. 

Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration will host community budget meetings throughout Maui County starting next week for residents to share their priorities and provide input on the budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024.

Maui Mayor RIchard Bissen said that he was reassured by the American Red Cross, FEMA and the State of Hawai’i that residents displaced by the Aug. 8 fires who are sheltering in hotels will be able to continue to do so past Sept. 30 if they have completed registering with FEMA and the Red Cross.

By order of the Public Utilities Commission, Hawaiian Electric has postponed the start of the new Shift and Save pilot program for approximately 17,000 residential and business customers who were selected at random to test time-of-use rates on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island and Maui.

An emotional community meeting was held Friday night at the Lahaina Community Center to provide information to fire surviors — and hope that many people are working to help them.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has formed a 5-member Lahaina Advisory Team, announced two public meetings about relief efforts and is in the midst of creating a new Office of Recovery.

“Today, we honor the precious lives lost. Today, we remember with gratitude the firefighters, police, paramedics and extraordinary citizens who put their own safety at risk to help their neighbors and strangers, exhibiting incredible courage and heroism in Kula, Olinda, Kīhei and Lahaina.” — Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen in a video address on the one-month anniversary of the Maui wildfires.

While Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green announced Friday that West Maui would reopen to tourists on Oct. 8, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the people in the community of West Maui should decide how that occurs.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen declared May Community Action Month in Maui County and recognized the county’s Community Action Agency, Maui Economic Opportunity.

This version of Maui Nowʻs letters includes discussion about drainage for repeat flooding areas, lack of effort to find Mauiʻs missing persons, Villages of Lealiʻi development, discrimination by TSA at Kahuli Airport pre-check, Makawao fire, longtime visitors upset about recent lack of “Aloha Spirt,” radical idea to get rid of Axis deer and more.

Maui’s new Mayor Richard Bissen called for sensible spending, explained his stance as a nonpartisan, and embraced traditional knowledge in his inaugural address on Monday evening at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater.

Mayor-elect Richard Bissen announced the appointments of: Kauanoe Batangan, Deputy Director of Department of Transportation; Koa Hewahewa, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture; Saumalu Mataafa, Deputy Director of Department of Housing & Human Concerns; Robert Schmidt, Deputy Director, Department of Environmental Management; Wendy Taomoto, Deputy Director of Department of Public Works; and Steve Tesoro, Deputy Director of Department of Finance

The race for Maui’s top executive job comes down to incumbent Michael Victorino, and challenger Richard Bissen. The two garnered the most votes in the Primary Election and now face off in the General Election, with the top vote getter to lead the County of Maui for the next four years as mayor.

Candidate interviews conducted by the Kula Community Association will be aired on Akakū Maui Community Media on channels 54 and 55 between Oct. 19-28, 2022.

The Board of Directors and Political Action Committee of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association announced its endorsements for state and county candidates in the 2022 General Election. 

Hawai‘i Pacific University and former Hawaiʻi Gov. Linda Lingle established a scholarship for students who show potential to become exceptional leaders.

To submit information on campaign fundraisers, endorsements, and community meet & greet events, send items to newsdesk@mauinow.com.

On Maui, crowded races include the Kahului Council seat where seven candidates are running. Thereʻs also five people running for the Makawao-Haʻikū-Pāʻia council vacancy, and five in the race for the District 13 House seat.