The Maui County Council has begun scrutinizing Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed $1.51 billion budget for next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The number of county job vacancies has emerged as an early issue for some members, including Council Chair Alice Lee.

“I don’t see why we need a budget that high, because we have over 600 vacancies in the county,” she said. “The emphasis — and it wasn’t even mentioned — should be that we need to revolutionize our hiring practices, recruitment and retention. That needs to be top priority.”

The council will spend the next two weeks in a series of public meetings that dive into each department’s budget and provide an opportunity for members to question each director. Two public hearings will be held later this month to gather additional feedback on what action the council should take.

Bissen presented his spending plan to the council last week, highlighting the progress made since the devastating August 2023 wildfires. He said his budget shows the county is in a good financial position to continue focusing on rebuilding Lahaina and other parts of the island affected by the fires while focusing on the island’s overall resilience. 

“With steady progress in emergency response and preparedness, we have moved from crisis management to long-term recovery,” he said, describing his budget as “a blueprint for Maui County’s future.”

On Tuesday, Maui’s director of Personnel Services, Cynthia Razo-Porter, faced a tough line of questioning from council members regarding the high number of vacancies.

“This is unsustainable,” Lee said. “When you have vacancies of this scale, you can’t possibly complete the projects proposed.”

Razo-Porter, answering a question from council member Tasha Kama, said the county’s 667 open positions were equivalent to roughly an 18% vacancy rate. The county has struggled for years to fill openings in large part due to the island’s high cost of living.

“So we are missing 18% of our workforce?” Kama asked.

“Essentially,” Razo-Porter responded.

Lee said that while the mayor “had established some good goals,” she was concerned there were too many vacant government positions to carry out his plans.

Bissen has said his budget is focused on efforts to expand affordable housing options and bolster services that focus on the long-term wellness of Maui residents. 

The mayor has proposed funding efforts that include: expanding police radio coverage across the county; expanding the Maui Emergency Management Agency; improving and expanding water infrastructure; supporting new housing development; exploring the possibility of a county-owned ferry system; and providing safe parking spaces for those living in vehicles. 

If approved by the council, the mayor’s budget would maintain the same property tax rates for all categories, except owner-occupied properties, whose rates would be slightly reduced.

Budget deliberations began this week with the finance and management departments. On Wednesday, the council will review budgets for corporation counsel, the prosecuting attorney, transportation and agriculture.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.