Duties: The County Council is the legislative and policy-making body of the Maui County government. Council is responsible for passing the laws that govern the county, as enacted by ordinance and written in the Maui County Code.How Elected: The County Council consists of nine members elected from geographical districts. Members are elected on a nonpartisan basis. A Councilmember must be a resident of the district from which the person is to be elected for at least one year before filing and a qualified voter of the County of Maui.If there are 1 or 2 candidates for a seat, they will appear only on the general election ballot. If there are 3 or more candidates for a seat, they will appear on the primary election ballot and the 2 candidates receiving the most votes will appear on the general election ballot. The candidate who receives the most votes at the general election is deemed elected (Maui County Charter, Article 3, Section 3-2).Term: Two years, limited to a maximum of four consecutive full terms.Base Salary (FY2024): Councilmember - $80,299; Council Chair - $86,336
Education
University of Maui College AS Human Services
Campaign Phone
(808)385-3400
My dedication to housing advocacy spans as far back as 1987. I believe that my election to the Council was a result of my strong commitment to increasing the housing inventory and ensuring that our housing needs are met to a certain standard. As Chair of the Housing and Land Use Committee, I will continue to work harder to keep our families rooted in Maui County and not have to resort to leaving.
A vibrant economy requires diverse industries. We should not only support, but also prioritize entrepreneurial programs to help our people become self-sufficient and economically empowered.
Part of my strategy to tackle the affordable housing crisis involves permitting eligible homeowners to build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on their properties, allowing denser development along transportation corridors, and enabling housing development in underutilized commercial spaces.
Aging infrastructure is a challenge for most agencies in Hawaii. A look at Honolulu and the frequent water line breaks indicates that if our community does not invest in maintaining our infrastructure that infrastructure will fail us when we need it the most. We must ensure that we are investing both to maintain our infrastructure and to expand it to meet future needs. This may mean that consumers may need to pay more to keep our systems running but it is better to contribute more over time than face a massive hike in utilities at one time when systems need large-scale replacement.
Education
High School graduate of Immaculate Conception Academy, some college at San Pablo Community College
Community/Military Service
22 years US Naval and Naval Reserve
YouTube
Campaign Phone
(808)264-9385
Our voice, our home, our Maui. As a passionate advocate for Maui, I'm running to enact actionable change fueled by innovation, progress, and the grit to take on our most pressing issues. My 22-year Navy veteran background instills values of strong leadership, responsibility, and a profound commitment to our community's welfare. Advancing affordable housing, supporting sustainable agriculture, and diversifying our economy are my top priorities. This campaign is our collective commitment to a future where every decision is made with the well-being of our future seven generations in mind.
Maui remains vulnerable to economic shocks with our tourism-centric economy that has failed to keep pace with inflation for our local families. We must jump-start small businesses and invest in workforce development to grow a sustainable circular economy. Our County must pursue Federal and State assistance, especially for healthcare and trades careers. Our keiki and young adults are so intelligent, smart, savvy, and capable. They deserve to have access to no-cost or low-cost education opportunities in these stable career fields to invigorate our lāhui as well as themselves.
Housing is a basic human right, yet over 25% of the housing inventory is owned by non-residents. We must focus on building affordable housing, developing a tiny home ordinance, and addressing the economics that popularize non-resident ownership of local housing stock. As you drive around Kahului, you see many empty storefronts, buildings, and office spaces that can and should be repurposed to help our community. My plan is to do what it takes to repurpose these sites as housing zones to provide rent-to-own units, affordable housing units, or perhaps another Pu’uhonua.
Maui County should seek partnerships with entities like the USDA, EPA, the Rural Partners Network, and others to seek more funding and assistance opportunities for sustainable infrastructure projects like: permeable pavements and roadways, green infrastructure, sustainable stormwater management solutions, reliable electricity and a resilient power grid, clean and safe drinking water, so that our Maui community can have access to every opportunity to succeed. Additionally, these projects would provide high paying jobs for local families at prevailing wages, to create circular economy growth.
