Human Concerns and Parks departments present fiscal 2027 budget plans

Maui County departments presented budget proposals for fiscal year 2027 that prioritize rebuilding fire-damaged facilities in West Maui and expanding social services for the island’s aging population.

The Department of Human Concerns is requesting a nearly $37 million budget for fiscal 2027, a plan that includes $27 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for a multi-year project to rebuild the West Maui Senior Center in Lahaina.

Appearing Tuesday before the Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, Human Concerns Deputy Director Jessica Crouse told council members the facility served as a significant hub for home-delivered meals, assisted transportation and social connection before it was lost.

“We are committed to restoring this vital sanctuary to ensure our West Maui seniors will regain a permanent home to gather and thrive in their own community,” Crouse said.

Stabilizing department staffing and adding expansion positions are other priorities for the department, she said.

The department is requesting Council approval of two added positions in the Grant Management and Early Childhood divisions and four expansion positions in the Office on Aging. These are to secure positions that have lost state funding, Crouse said. Employees are needed to handle increased workloads and meet current operational needs, she added.

“Retaining our existing hardworking employees is critical to continuing to provide the assessments, resource referrals and programmatic oversight that so many kūpuna and their families rely on,” she said.

The department also will focus on strengthening its capacity with additional training for employees and training events for the community, such as large-scale nonprofit volunteer management training and facilitated training for homeless service providers, she said.

As for specific funding requests, the Department of Human Concerns is seeking an additional $1.35 million to support home and community services for kūpuna; $2.3 million (a 15% increase) for grantees who were previously included in the fiscal 2026 budget; and nearly $1.4 million for 10 new grants in fiscal 2027.

Crouse summarized her department’s budget as being “more than a collection of figures.”

“It is our blueprint for a resilient social safety net,” Crouse said. “By stabilizing our workforce and expanding our reach to the most vulnerable, we ensure the department’s wide canopy continues to protect and support our people today and for generations to come.”

The Department of Parks and Recreation presented a $49.9 million operating budget, a 15.4% increase over the current fiscal year, alongside a $75 million capital improvement program.

Director Patrick McCall said the department is focusing on fire mitigation across all districts, requesting nearly $540,000 for specialized equipment including a dump truck, an excavator and trailers.

“Our department priorities include reflecting budget investment with them maintaining a healthy and safe environment,” McCall said.

Some of the department’s larger capital improvement projects include: $25 million for the second phase of the South Maui Community Park; $7 million to design and construct 12 new Central Maui pickleball courts; $10 million for countywide infrastructure projects; $5 million for rehabilitation of the Lahaina Aquatic Center; $5 million for safety fencing; and $1.2 million for the design phase of a new West Maui community center and field house.

The department is allocating $5 million toward countywide court improvements and funding for West Maui rebuilds; $500,000 for improvements under the Americans with Disabilities Act; $1.75 million for safe playground replacements; and $41,000 for a Central Maui baseyard security system, “which has been a site of a great deal of vandalism and theft,” he said.

To accomplish the building projects, the department is proposing a $1 million investment in specialized construction project management consultants, McCall said.

The parks department also proposed a $130,000 increase for the PALS program to cover the rising cost of meals no longer funded by federal grants.