WAILUKU – Mayor Alan Arakawa and his administration will host a series of community meetings in September and October to receive comments and suggestions from the public regarding the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018-19.

Citizens with an interest in the county budget are encouraged to attend a meeting in their local area and offer input, either as individuals or on behalf of an organization. Both written and verbal comments will be accepted.

“This is a valuable opportunity for our citizens to have a say in how their taxpayer dollars are spent by the county,” said Mayor Arakawa.

“Many of the projects and new services that my administration has implemented over the years were a direct result of the input from these community meetings. Suggestions from the public help us prioritize what is best for our community and understand how to better serve our residents. Putting together the Maui County budget is a process in which everyone can take part.”

The schedule for the meetings is:

Central Maui: Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 5:30 p.m., Velma Santos (Wailuku) Community Center;

East Maui: Thursday, Sept. 7, at 5:30 p.m., Helene Hall;

Paia/Haiku: Monday, Sept. 18, at 5:30 p.m., Haiku Community Center;

Upcountry: Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m., Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center;

Molokai: Monday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m., Mitchell Pauole Center;

Lanai: Thursday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m., Lanai Senior Center;

West Maui: Monday, Oct. 2, at 5:30 p.m., Lahaina Civic Center;

South Maui: Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 5:30 p.m., Kihei Community Center.

For more information on the community meetings, contact the County of Maui Budget Office at 270-7855 or visit www.mauicounty.gov/Budget.

Staff from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) office will also be on-hand to offer information and gather public input on the use of the county’s funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Community Development Block Grant is a federal program created by Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-383).

CDBG funds received will be utilized for housing and community development needs primarily benefiting low and moderate income persons.

For information on CDBG, contact the County of Maui CDBG Program Office at 270-7213 or visit www.mauicounty.gov/CDBG.