#Tom Croly

The Maui County Council unanimously passed a bill on first reading Friday that would extend real property tax relief for Lahaina wildfire survivors through June 2028. Bill 171 seeks to assist property owners whose lands remain unoccupiable. It also helps those who are undergoing active rebuilding following the August 2023 wildfires. The measure targets properties […]

In a move to address lingering concerns about a proposed law to phase out transient vacation rentals, the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 8-0 on Wednesday to form a Temporary Investigative Group. The TIG, a “permitted interaction group” under Hawaiʻi’s Sunshine Law, would investigate policies and procedures for vacation rentals in […]

Maui County Council members accepted oral and written testimony Tuesday on revised real property tax rates that reduced rates in some categories while retaining proposed rates in others. The Council recessed its meeting until June 3. Final action on tax rates and second-and-final reading on the fiscal 2026 budget are scheduled for that date in […]

Maui County Council members heard testimony from about a half-dozen people Monday morning on proposed real property tax rates, mostly from transient vacation rental operators who said they’re being unfairly squeezed with higher tax rates at a time when their future bookings are dropping dramatically.