Maui’s economy needs to be diversified! For decades, we have been placing more and more of our eggs in one basket. In the 1960s and 1970s, the visitor industry was helpful in countering the decline of Maui’s agricultural industry. However, as tourism kept growing, with no end in sight, it began to overwhelm our residents and decrease our quality of life. Now that we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maui’s over-reliance on visitors has been vividly illustrated by the impacts of our latest economic downturn. After previous recessions in 1998 and 2009, there were calls for economic diversification, but our reliance on tourism continued to increase. In April of 2020, the unemployment rate in Kahului, Wailuku and Lahaina reached 35%, the highest of any metropolitan area in the nation.

In addition to the pandemic’s major impact on the visitor industry, there have been several threats to our food supply, 90 percent of which is shipped here from elsewhere. From COVID-19 related labor issues at U.S. West Coast shipping ports, to the threatened shutdown of inter-island carrier Young Brothers, food security on Maui has been shown to be vulnerable like never before.

On the upcoming general election ballot, there will be two proposed amendments to the Maui County Charter that if passed, could help improve Maui’s economy and resiliency:

COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE:

One proposed charter amendment would create a County of Maui Department of Agriculture. This new department is intended to help farmers be successful, by advocating for agriculture within the halls of County government. The charter amendment language specifically states that the purpose of the new department will be “to provide advocacy, and not create additional regulatory barriers, on all matters related to agriculture.”

A rejuvenated agriculture industry on Maui will: 

• provide many jobs in farming and supportive industries
• train new farmers
• help market Maui products
• make us less vulnerable to future economic downturns;
• help to preserve open space and Maui’s rural lifestyle 
• increase food self-sufficiency. 

Maui Tomorrow urges you to vote “YES!” on the proposed charter amendment to create a Maui County Department of Agriculture.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND

Also on the ballot will be a proposed charter amendment to extend the Maui County Affordable Housing Fund, which is currently scheduled to terminate in 2021. This amendment needs your Yes vote to continue setting aside funds for low-income housing. The charter amendment would:

• eliminate the expiration date of the affordable housing fund
• reserve 3 percent (up from 2%) of real property tax revenues for the “the provision, protection, and expansion of affordable housing and suitable living environments” for people who need it. Note that this would not increase property taxes, just the amount that is retained for affordable housing. 

Affordable housing is important to Maui’s quality of life, and Maui Tomorrow works to make sure that such projects are sited in areas with existing infrastructure, and are close to schools, parks, shopping and employment centers, so that they will be truly affordable for residents over the long term. Building affordable homes for working families (instead of more hotels) will also keep construction workers employed building the housing that Maui needs. 

Maui Tomorrow urges you to vote “YES!” on extending the affordable housing fund.