West Maui Budget Listening Session - April 18, 2026

On April 18, 2026, the Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee, chaired by Councilmember Yukile Sugimura, held a listening session in West Maui to hear community input on the Mayor's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Councilmembers from across Maui County attended, and over 20 community members testified on priorities ranging from wildfire recovery and housing to transportation and public safety. No formal votes were taken; testimony will inform the committee's budget deliberations.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Alejandro Ayala praised the MEO paratransit service for changing her life but noted long wait times (sometimes 1–2 hours) and requested a local route to reduce travel time.
• Lynn Nishikawa (Aloha Amplified) requested $40,000 for the 2026 Lights for Lahaina event, a two-day healing experience on September 11–12, citing its positive mental health impact on survivors.
• Rhonda Alexander Moncres (Hoʻola LTRG) requested $500,000 for disaster case management, noting 245 families in care and 160 on a waitlist. She highlighted two homes completed and four underway.
• Kelly Gisel (Hoʻola LTRG) reported that 427 volunteers contributed over 27,000 hours in nine months, creating an estimated $850,000 economic impact, and asked for continued support.
• Brandi Khajadoy (Hoʻola LTRG) requested funding to address faulty contractors, describing cases where survivors were left with incomplete or dangerous homes. She said remediation costs range from $60,000 to $500,000 per household.
• Rick Nava (West Maui Taxpayers Association) opposed a $60 million budget increase, citing rising costs. He requested priority funding for traffic safety improvements on Kiawe Street, pedestrian crosswalks, bus shelters, and park upgrades at Kilauea or Malka Park. He urged using CDBG-DR funds instead of county general funds.
• Joseph Pluto (West Maui Taxpayers Association) emphasized health and safety, highlighted progress on a new fire station (estimated $4 million using modular construction), and called for permitting reforms and exemptions for urgent safety projects.
• Theo Morrison (Lahaina Restoration Foundation) supported the $9 million in the Office of Recovery budget for rebuilding the Lahaina Courthouse and old prison, noting the foundation has managed these historic sites for decades.
• Mitch Kingsley (Mennonite Disaster Service) explained that their volunteer work depends on four pillars: accommodations, volunteers, meaningful work, and material funding. He emphasized that county funding for case management and materials is critical to their ability to stay in Lahaina.
• Alexandria Domingo (reading a parent's letter) expressed appreciation for MEO Head Start full-day, full-year services and urged continued funding.
• Michelle Lincoln (fire survivor) requested budget recognition for park parcels from the Kahoma Village mediation, and asked for reclaimed water to be extended to Bishop Estate for fire prevention and agriculture.
• Bij Yadow (Hoʻola LTRG) thanked Hoʻola and partners for helping his family rebuild and urged continued support.
• Lionel Pasqual (fire survivor) described being in a “missing loop”—ineligible for FEMA and low-income assistance after exhausting insurance loss-of-use funds. He requested rental assistance for middle-income survivors.
• Wilmot Kahali (Aloha Amplified) shared the origin of Lights for Lahaina and requested a specific budget allocation for mental health and wellness, noting the community’s ongoing trauma.
• Kanani Higby (fire survivor) argued that mental health funding is less urgent than housing and missing persons investigations. She asked the council to support state bills (HB 2049 and SB 3028) for Hawaiian home infrastructure and called for more action on her missing brother.
• Mikey Burke (Lahaina Community Land Trust) requested restoration of $6 million in unrestricted funding initially proposed by the mayor (later reduced) and retention of $2.4 million for vertical construction. She said 10 ʻohana (1,600 lived years) have been kept in Lahaina, and 20 properties are secured. She warned of a narrow 2–3 year window to buy land before settlement checks drive sales.
• Jay Kamiki Carter (Hoʻola DCM) shared a kupuna’s story of receiving case management support and asked for continued funding.
• Steve Fisher (fire zone resident) proposed planting pencil cactus (fire-resistant) for fire prevention and requested speed bumps on Fleming Road to address dangerous speeding.
• Carolyn Alve Loa (Lahaina Community Land Trust) thanked the council for previous trust and funding ($3.5 million for an insurance gap program), reported 10 families helped and three foreclosures disrupted, and urged restoring the $6 million. She also raised concerns about an unsafe retaining wall behind a home and called for stronger enforcement by the Department of Planning (4Leaf).

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken at this listening session.
• Councilmember Tamara Paulton will report the testimony received to the committee at its next meeting on April 19 or 20, 2026.
• Several councilmembers committed to following up on specific requests: rental assistance for Lionel Pasqual, speed bumps on Fleming Road (in coordination with Roland Tanner and the Department of Public Works), and the Kahoma Village park parcels (via budget amendment).
• The committee will consider testimony when reviewing the Mayor's proposed budget, including possible amendments to restore funding for the Lahaina Community Land Trust ($6 million) and to address the “missing loop” for rental assistance.