Mayor Bissen presents FY 2024 Budget Proposal

Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr. presented his proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget to Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee, Vice Chair and Council Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura and Maui County Council members on Friday, March 24.

The proposed budget totals $1.227 billion and represents an increase of $15.6 million or 1.3% compared to the Council’s adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2023 of $1.211 billion.

Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 revenues of $1.080 billion from County funds will provide funding for an operating budget of $931.4 million and a capital improvement budget of $148.6 million. That compares with Fiscal Year 2023 budget revenue of $1.070 billion from County funds that funded an operating budget of $805.9 million and a capital improvement budget of $263.8 million.

The mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget seeks to address his priorities including water, housing, infrastructure, economic resilience and diversity, and protection of our environment.

To address water needs, the administration will work to identify new catchment sources and storage capacity, as well as look for alternative ways to address the longstanding Upcountry water meter list.

The administration also is prioritizing housing for kamaʻāina families, support housing for Area Median Income tiers and seek collaborative and innovative opportunities to provide working class families with affordable housing options.

In the proposed $181.4 million Capital Improvement Budget, the largest number of proposed projects are from the Department of Public Works. The projects include an East Maui Rockfall and Embankment Repair project and a countywide bridge and drainage program. Other projects include improvements to the Lāhainā Civic Center and War Memorial Gym building and an expansion of the Kula Agricultural P{ark.

Compared with $152.2 million in bond funding borrowed in Fiscal Year 2023, the Mayor’s Budget Proposal reduces the amount to $65.9 million In Fiscal Year 2024, which means less debt service costs for the County.

The proposal increases the county’s emergency fund by $40 million, up from last year’s $3 million contribution.

“We have sought solutions to improve the lives of our residents, value our islands’ precious resources and demonstrate respect for our culture,” Mayor Bissen said in a news release. “Leading government is about being responsible for the safety and overall well-being of our people. The services we provide, the initiatives we put in place and the budget are critical tools to our most important outcome: the state of our people.”

The budget proposal will undergo a review and deliberation by Council members, and will require approval from the Council.