With renewed hope in residents’ unbreakable strength and progress a year and a half after Maui’s devastating wildfires, Mayor Richard Bissen reported on Friday that the state of the County is determined.

“While our community may be in different stages of healing, I stand before you tonight to say: The state of our County is determined,” Mayor Bissen said during his annual State of the County Address. “Determined to get our people home. Determined to rebuild. Determined to restore hope.”

Mayor Bissen spoke before hundreds of residents and community leaders in his third State of the County Address from 5 to 7 tonight at Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater in Kahului. He discussed the path from heartbreak to healing, community-led, government-supported recovery milestones and initiatives the County has implemented to bolster emergency preparedness and response.

“Critical to the success of our recovery is ensuring that the County is better prepared for future disasters,” Mayor Bissen said. “In a commitment to strengthening emergency preparedness and providing transparency, the County of Maui has completed disaster After-Action Reports (AARs) for Police, Fire, and MEMA, which have guided improvements in communication, evacuation procedures, personnel deployment, emergency alerts and fire station infrastructure.”

Looking ahead, Mayor Richard Bissen’s 2025 priorities are keenly focused on kamaʻāina housing initiatives and solutions to keep local residents in their communities; advancing recovery and well-being efforts; and protecting cultural and natural resources.

“Housing remains one of the most pressing challenges across Maui Nui,” Mayor Bissen said. “The County is on track to contribute to nearly 620 completed units last year, and over 1,200 new, permanent units coming online over the next two years. Additionally, the County’s draft CDBG-DR Action Plan, now undergoing community review and input, proposes to allocate over $1.2 billion over the next six years toward the reconstruction, rebuilding, and development of housing and housing-related infrastructure for our people.”

Mayor Bissen added that he will be introducing legislation soon to resolve long-standing real property tax delinquencies for DHHL homestead lessees.

“This bill will exempt improved homestead leases from real property taxes beyond the minimum tax, protecting Native Hawaiian families from rising housing costs and burdensome processes,” he said.

Also, Mayor Bissen touched on the County’s recent investments in critical infrastructure, a key component to promoting housing growth, and highlighted the recently designated $1.6 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding as a foundation for the community’s continued recovery.

Other highlights of the 2025 State of the County Address include:

• Plans to move forward with the “Safe Parking” program to provide a secure environment for residents living in their vehicles. The RFP will be issued this month.
• Development of the “One Water Strategy for Lahaina,” a coordinated water management plan that takes a holistic approach to managing drinking water, wastewater and stormwater, while addressing post-fire recovery challenges and ensuring Lahaina’s long-term sustainability.
• The launch of the “Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan,” a first-of-its-kind initiative, to ensure access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food while supporting climate adaptation and local food producers.
• Work to address South Maui’s flooding issues, by exploring potential solutions including mauka drainage basins, improved sediment removal and long-term flood prevention strategies.
• Energy-saving initiatives to enhance energy efficiency, facility management and critical infrastructure. First-year savings for these programs are expected to reach $1.63 million, with an additional $80,000 in rebates from Hawai‘i Energy.

“Despite the significant challenges faced by Maui County, we have maintained good financial health, reflecting our commitment to transparency and accountability,” Mayor Bissen noted. “This has resulted in strong bond ratings, which translate to large capital projects costing us less.”

The livestream of the 2025 State of the County Address is available for viewing on the County of Maui Facebook page with rebroadcasts on AKAKŪ Maui Community Media Channel 53. To view a transcript of the speech, visit www.mauicounty.gov/mayor.