For Immediate Release: December 14, 2022 Press Release by: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, Vice-Chair Maui County Council media@mauicounty.us Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee launches OpenGov fiscal year 2023 budget website KAUNAKAKAI, Hawaiʻi—Council Vice-Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez announced that the Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee met today to discuss accessibility to the OpenGov Maui county fiscal year […]
For Immediate Release: November 7, 2022 Press Release by: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, Council Vice-Chair Maui County Council media@mauicounty.us Council passes historic transient accommodation caps WAILUKU, Hawaiʻi—Council Vice-Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez announced that the council passed Bill 159, FD2 (2022), amending the comprehensive zoning ordinance to establish lower transient accommodations caps, on second and final reading at the […]
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2022 Press Release by: Keani N.W. Rawlins-Fernandez, Council Vice-Chair Maui County Council media@mauicounty.us Council establishes Hawaiian Language Communications Specialist position KAUNAKAKAI, Hawaiʻi—Bringing to fruition an initiative from this spring’s annual budget session, the Maui County Council approved the appointment of a Hawaiian Language Communications Specialist on Aug. 5, providing ‘ōlelo […]
For Immediate Release: July 13, 2022 Press Release by: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, Vice-Chair Maui County Council media@mauicounty.us Council to hear homeowner exemption bills to promote tax equity KAUNAKAKAI, Hawai‘i—Council Vice-Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez announced today that legislation on homeowner exemptions from real property tax—Bill 93 (2022) and Bill 110, CD1 (2022)—is scheduled for passage by the Maui […]
By Keani N.W. Rawlins Fernandez Shortly after joining the council, I noticed unfairness in the structure of our county’s potable water rates. A hotel or resort using over 35,000 gallons of water was charged a lower rate than a single-family dwelling using the same amount. This disparity was based on a technical defect in the […]
Creating a locally based strategy for economic prosperity and resilience By Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez This year, the county is updating its fourth Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), an economic roadmap to diversify and strengthen regional economies, for publication later this year. This update occurs about every five years, as a result of the Economic Development […]
For Immediate Release: February 18, 2022 Press Release by: Keani N.W. Rawlins-Fernandez, Chair Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee Maui County Council media@mauicounty.us Report on tourism management and economic development to be discussed Wednesday KAUNAKAKAI, Hawai‘i—The council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee will discuss the findings and recommendations of its Tourism Management and Economic Development Temporary Investigative Group—including a proposal to establish caps on all transient accommodations—on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., […]
COUNCIL’S 3 MINUTES By: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez Published in The Maui News October 23, 2021 ‘Āina Kūpuna Bill Aims to Keep Ancestral Lands in Kānaka ‘Ōiwi Hands Without having legislation in place sooner, many longtime Maui County families have been forced to sell portions or, in many cases, all of their ancestral lands due to […]
For Immediate Release: October 1, 2021 Press Release by: Keani N.W. Rawlins-Fernandez, Vice-Chair Maui County Council Council implements a transient accommodations tax for the County of Maui KAUNAKAKAI, Hawaiʻi—The Maui County Council passed Bill 101 by a 7-0 vote today to create a 3 percent transient accommodations tax, also known as “TAT,” Council Vice-Chair […]
COUNCIL’S 3 MINUTES By: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez Published in the Maui News June 19, 2021 Transient accommodations moratorium prioritizes management of tourism The under-regulated growth of transient accommodations has caused an excessive increase in tourism, which negatively impacts the environment, overwhelms county infrastructure and diminishes residents’ quality of life. Residents’ concerns are valid and timely […]
