#Maui budget

Maui Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr. presented his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026 to members of the Maui County Council on Tuesday. The document addresses funding needed for housing, recovery and well-being, natural and cultural resources, water, infrastructure and public safety.

The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee has created an online survey to gather information on how Maui County residents want their tax dollars spent, Committee Chair Yuki Lei K. Sugimura announced.

The County of Maui recently received awards for distinguished budget presentation and excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration will host a community budget meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku.

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 2026, which begins July 1, 2025.

The new fiscal year begins today, July 1. “Our housing crisis, exacerbated by the fires, remains a top priority for all elected officials and administrators,” said Council Chair Alice Lee, pointing to a report that indicates more than 4,000 residents have already left Maui in search of housing elsewhere. “We must take care of and protect our families,” she said.

Alongside Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee and Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, Mayor Richard Bissen on Wednesday afternoon signed into law an approximately $1.263 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The document boosts housing for residents, especially those who were displaced after the 2023 August wildfires, supports wildfire recovery and resiliency, bolsters social service programs and delivers core services.

US Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), member of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security overseeing funding responsibility over Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), called on the agency to broaden transitional housing support for the thousands displaced by the Lahaina wildfires last August.

The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee will hold evening budget meetings in council residency areas April 1-16 to receive community input on the fiscal year 2025 budget, Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei K. Sugimura announced today.

Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura announced today that she has requested a financial analysis of a potential water source development agreement between the County of Maui and Free Market Ventures, LLC. 

“This year in response to recovery efforts, and the creation of three new departments and one new division, we’re facing a $429.2 million increase to the FY 2025 budget,” said Mayor Bissen. “This is 33.9% increase from last year’s council approved budget of $1.268 billion. This is due in large part to the new revenue streams addressing our emergency recovery needs.”

Maui County Council Presiding Officer Pro Tempore Tasha Kama announced today she will hold a Kahului residency area town hall to discuss the fiscal year 2025 budget, March 12 at 6 p.m. at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center’s former movie theater.

Council Member Thomas Cook announced today that he will be hosting a South Maui community town hall at 6 p.m. on Feb. 29 at the Maui Economic Development Board’s Malcolm Center.

 Maui County Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura will hold two talk story sessions Upcountry this week.  The first session takes place tonight (Feb. 6) at the Kula Elementary School cafeteria from 6 to 7 p.m.  Sugimura will also hold her monthly Talk Story with Yuki Lei outreach program, Feb. 10, at the Upcountry Farmers Market from 7 to 11 a.m.

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.

Mayor Richard Bissen signed into law a $1.07 billion Fiscal Year 2024 budget that provides for a decrease in tax rates for owner-occupied homes assessed at $3 million or less, increased funding for affordable housing and $184 million in capital projects and infrastructure for Maui County.

The Maui County Council will consider passage on second and final reading of the county’s fiscal year 2024 budget Tuesday. The Maui County Charter requires the council to take final action on the budget by June 10.

The Maui County Council will consider the county’s fiscal year 2024 budget on first reading at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

On Maui, the budget includes the addition of $6.1 million in general funds in FY24 and FY25 for the Maui Axis Deer program; $1.1 million in FY25 for six months of funding to support new housing at the Maui Community Correctional Center; and the addition of three permanent positions and $98,500 in FY24 and $200,250 in FY25 for UH Maui College’s health center.

The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee completed deliberations on the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget with Maui County’s departments and will begin the decision-making process on Friday.