Maui County BFED Committee Continues FY27 Budget Deliberations with Fire and Housing Departments (April 6, 2026)

The Budget, Finance, and Economic Development (BFED) Committee convened on April 6, 2026, at 9:06 AM to continue deliberations on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget for the County of Maui. The meeting focused on the Department of Fire and Public Safety and the Department of Housing. Chair Sugimura presided. Members discussed rescheduling upcoming district meetings due to a forecasted storm and received extensive public testimony.

Schedule Changes & District Meeting Recaps

• Rescheduled Meetings: Due to the forecasted Konalo storm, the South Maui residency area meeting was rescheduled from Wednesday, April 8, to Tuesday, April 14, at 6 PM. The West Maui meeting was rescheduled from Thursday, April 9, to Friday, April 17, at 6 PM.
• Member Proposals Deadline: Member proposals for budget adjustments are now due on Saturday, April 18, at 4:30 PM.
• District Meeting Recap: Chair Sugimura and Member U Hodgins reported on the April 1 Upcountry residency area meeting, which heard from 44 testifiers. Topics included the MEDB STEM Works program, MEO paratransit, the BEST reintegration program, the Maui Mountain Bike Coalition, surface water testing, and Holomua Road concerns.

Public Testimony

• Pa'ia Youth & Cultural Center (PYCC): Dean Wong and Jeremiah Savage of Emua Family Services (administrative partner of PYCC) requested an operational funding increase from $350,000 to $554,000. They stated the center serves 45-65 youth daily and needs support for clinical mental health and substance abuse services.
• La'Akea Village: Multiple speakers (Executive Director Ashley Klemperer, board VP Josh Woodburn, family members, and program staff) strongly supported a $4.5 million Affordable Housing Fund grant request. The project plans 22 single-story homes providing supportive, inclusive rental housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their caregivers, and other qualified residents. The total project cost is estimated between $23 and $30 million.
• Aloha House: CEO Nicole Hokowana testified in support of a $2 million AHF grant to acquire two sober living homes. The program serves very low-income adults with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Aloha House committed up to $1 million in matching funds.
• Wastewater Concerns: Travis Liggett raised concerns about the delay in designing a new wastewater disinfection system for Kihei, stating the current injection well discharges require an NPDES permit.
• Capital Improvement Projects: Christopher Salem testified against the continued listing of the Lower Honoapiilani Road improvements, alleging a three-decade lack of progress. He also raised concerns about fire mitigation obligations deferred by Public Works.

Discussion Items: Department of Fire and Public Safety

• Budget Overview: Chief Ventura presented a nearly flat budget (0.6% increase), emphasizing training, fire prevention, and drowning prevention. External donations (Sara Foundation) were highlighted.
• Equipment & Infrastructure: Members discussed the replacement of aging IC200 800MHz radios, backup generators at stations, drone programs, and a planned secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to separate fire/medic dispatch from police dispatch.
• Response Times & Station Planning: Calls have grown from ~5,000 in 2003 to 17,497 in 2025. The Chief identified that new stations in Haiku and Olawalu are critical. The Kihei station relocation study identified the Pīʻikea area and Piʻilani Promenade as top candidate sites.
• Personnel & Operations: The committee questioned premium pay (holiday pay reallocation), uniform allowances, the status of bargaining unit arbitrations, and an air travel allowance for Lanai firefighters due to unreliable ferry service.

Discussion Items: Department of Housing

• Budget Overview: Director Mitchell highlighted a $4.1 million increase for rental assistance and a $21 million increase for affordable housing fund projects. A formal competitive RFP process for the fund was instituted to depoliticize project selection.
• Housing Programs: The department signaled openness to increasing the $30,000 cap on the first-time homebuyer program and supported expanding the Molokai Voluntary Deed Restriction Program to Lanai. An RFP was issued for the redevelopment of the Kahale Akiola interim housing project, with operations extended to February 2027.
• Affordable Housing Fund Projects: The Kuʻikahi workforce housing project (102 for-sale units, 80-120% AMI) was discussed, noting it will require amending its land use entitlements. $1 million was allocated for pre-development costs on the county-owned Kihei Police Station parcel.
• Collaboration: The department confirmed collaboration with Planning on county lands and expressed openness to working with EPNS on green housing.

Key Outcomes & Chair’s Budget Philosophy

• Next Steps: Members will submit budget proposals by April 18 at 4:30 PM. Staff will provide an adjusted department hearing calendar.
• Fiscal Philosophy: Chair Sugimura emphasized the need for a budget that reflects current economic realities (gas $6-$7/gallon, eggs $13/dozen). Noting $174 million in carryover savings and a May 2021 auditor report suggesting the county has excessive financial reserves, he urged discipline and an analysis of whether the county is overtaxing residents. He also highlighted future fiscal challenges, including the 2030 GET sunset and property tax impacts from Bill 9 (short-term vacation rental prohibition).