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County announces schedule for community budget meetings

By Staff | Aug 23, 2018

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 the Fiscal Year 2019-20.

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.

Tables will be set up to allow directors and staff from each county department to meet with members of the public, hear budget-related needs, listen to concerns and answer questions about various county-related issues.

Attendees will be given a form upon arrival at the meeting to determine their needs and to which department(s) their comments pertain.

The meeting in each community will begin with an overview by Arakawa and Budget Director Sandy Baz, followed by approximately one hour for attendees to submit comments at the various department tables.

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

With all meetings starting at 5:30 p.m., the schedule is: Central Maui, Sept. 4, Velma Santos (Wailuku) Community Center; East Maui, Sept. 6, Hana Community Center; Upcountry, Sept. 17, Mayor Hannibal Tavares (Pukalani) Community Center; Paia/Haiku, Sept. 18, Haiku Community Center; West Maui, Oct. 1, Lahaina Intermediate School; and South Maui, Oct. 2, 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 present 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.