#Richard Bissen

To prepare for a powerful kona storm, Mayor Richard Bissen signed an emergency proclamation on Tuesday, that lets the county access state and federal assistance and streamlines procedures to quickly deploy resources, personnel and services if needed.

In his address, he highlighted Maui County’s continued progress across housing, recovery, well-being and economic stability, while outlining actions to strengthen communities and build a resilient future.

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 state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development has published a final environmental impact statement for a new 14.9-acre Central Maui Wastewater Reclamation Facility on former agricultural lands in Waikapū located between Honoapiʻilani and Kūihelani highways. The department will also install portions of a sewage pipeline and a recycled water pipeline to connect the site […]

The Bissen 2026 Campaign announced that the Ironworkers Stabilization Fund and Iron Workers Union Local 625 have formally endorsed the re-election of Mayor Richard Bissen. The Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association, the largest public-sector union in Hawai‘i, also announced its endorsement of Mayor Richard Bissen in his 2026 re-election campaign.

The community is invited to attend the 2026 State of the County Address, which will be presented by Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr. from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5, at Maui Arts and Cultural Center’s Castle Theater. Doors open at 4 p.m.

Yuki Lei Sugimura, Maui County Council Vice-Chair and holder of the Upcountry residency seat, has officially pulled papers to campaign for Mayor of Maui County.

Maui County will host a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 for residents to join in shared commitment to aloha, unity, peace and compassion. The event will be held on the Kalana O Maui front lawn at 200 S. High St. in Wailuku. #vigil #aloha

P. Denise La Costa, a Maui community leader and business owner, announced that she is running for Maui County Mayor.  The news was shared during a press conference Thursday, fronting the County Building in Wailuku.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites commercial property owners who lost property in Lahaina during the 2023 Maui wildfires to attend a dedicated commercial permitting workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Morgado Hall at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului.

The Maui County Council passed a bill on second and final reading Friday to enact a temporary ban on new private swimming pools in West Maui, a measure intended to conserve water for housing and wildfire recovery efforts.

The Maui County Council passed a bill on first reading Friday that would allow for factory-built housing in the Lahaina burn zone, a measure intended to accelerate housing recovery for survivors of the August 2023 wildfires.

Mayor Richard Bissen told state lawmakers Monday that his administration has shifted its focus from immediate wildfire recovery to housing delivery and large-scale infrastructure investments, forecasting the construction of approximately 3,000 affordable and workforce homes by 2030.

Gov. Josh Green pledged to extend rent support for Maui wildfire survivors through February 2027 and proposed halting future state tax cuts to preserve social services during his State of the State address, Monday in the House Chambers at the State Capitol.

Mayor Richard Bissen will join the state’s other three mayors in making presentations Monday afternoon before members of the Senate Ways and Means and House Finance committees at the State Capitol. Aside from Bissen, the other mayors scheduled to appear are Honolulu City and County Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda and Kaua‘i […]

Federal housing assistance for Maui wildfire survivors has been extended through February 2027, providing relief to nearly 1,000 households that were facing an impending cutoff.

Aloha House staff, board members and supporters gathered Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new dormitory on the Makawao campus. The new structure adds 12 beds to the facility’s existing 48 beds, increasing the program’s capacity by 25%. The agency provides residential substance use treatment programs, including medically […]

With the end of temporary federal emergency assistance now set for the end of next month, Mayor Richard Bissen advised Lahaina wildfire survivors Wednesday night to take a permanent housing alternative, if available.

Hale Makua Health Services, a Maui-born nonprofit serving the island for 80 years, today announced two landmark projects inspired by the community. The first project is an innovative health care complex in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (HMSA) currently referred to as the “CarePlex.” The second project is a 100-unit workforce housing development.

Yuki Lei Sugimura, a five-term council member, said her decision was spurred by the recent passage of the bill to phase out thousands of vacation rentals, which she says will negatively impact the local economy.