New Format Planned for This Year’s Community Budget Meetings

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Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa
Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa

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 2015-2016. Citizens with an interest in the County budget are encouraged to attend a meeting in their local area and offer testimony, either as individuals or on behalf of an organization. Both written and verbal testimonies will be accepted.

As a new feature this year to the Mayor’s annual community Budget meetings, tables will be set up to allow department directors and staff to meet with members of the public, hear budget-related needs, listen to concerns and answer questions about various County-related issues.

“Not everyone is comfortable speaking in front of a large audience, especially when a microphone is set up in the hall,” said Mayor Arakawa. “This new discussion format will help the community meetings run more efficiently by giving people the option of sharing their comments with our County directors in a more open and informal manner.

“Many of the initiatives that my Administration has worked on in the past several years are a direct result of the input from these community meetings,” Mayor Arakawa continued. “Suggestions from the public are welcome and are greatly appreciated, as they help us prioritize what is best for our community, and understand how to better serve Maui County residents. Putting together the Maui County budget is a process in which everyone should have a part.”

Input from the community meetings will be taken into consideration when the administration constructs the Fiscal Year 2015-2016 budget.

Budget meeting times and locations are as follows:

West Maui
Monday, September 15, 2014
5:00 p.m., Lahaina Civic Center

Molokai
Thursday, September 25, 2014
3:00 p.m., Home Pumehana Center (Located at Hale Mahaolu; 290 Kolapa Pl., Kaunakakai)

East Maui
Monday, September 30, 2014
5:00 p.m., Helene Social Hall

South Maui
Monday, October 6, 2014
6:00 p.m., Kihei Community Center

Upcountry:
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
5:00 p.m., Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center, Social Hall

Central Maui
Thursday, October 9, 2014
5:00 p.m., Velma Santos (Wailuku) Community Center

Paia/Haiku:
Monday, October 20, 2014
5:00 p.m., Paia Community Center

Lanai
Thursday, October 23, 2014
3:00 p.m., Lanai Senior Center

For more information on the community meetings, contact the County of Maui Budget Office at 270-7855.

The program office of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) will conduct public hearings 15 minutes prior to the Mayor’s community Budget meetings in East Maui, Molokai, Central Maui and Lanai. CDBG will gather views and comments from interested persons who wish to participate in the preparation of the County’s proposed Annual Action Plan for the Fiscal Year 2015-2016 relating to the County’s grant application for more than $1.5 million 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 the CDBG public hearings, contact the County of Maui CDBG Program Office at 270-7213.

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