Name on ballot:

Carol Lee Kamekona

Running for:

Maui county council – Kahului

Political party:

No answer submitted

Campaign website:

www.carolleekamekona.com

Current occupation:

Retired after 22-years in the Navy and Navy Reserves

Age:

66 years during the primary, 67 years during the general election

Previous job history:

Retired after 22-years in the Navy and Navy Reserves – World Airways, Trans World Airlines, and American Airlines – Transportation Security Administration at Maui Airport – Bradley Pacific Aviation at Maui Airport

Previous elected office, if any:

No answer submitted

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Maui County.

I’m a progressive candidate for the Maui County Council, and I firmly believe in the power of Aloha ʻAina to guide the community toward progress, resilience, and prosperity. My 22-year Navy veteran background instills values of strong leadership, responsibility, and a profound commitment to our community’s welfare. I’ve raised 7 kids as a single mom and know what it is like to work hard while raising a family. I’ve also been blessed with 11 mo’opuna – my pride and joy – who remind me of the importance of the legacy I leave to them and other generations that come after them.

What is your one best proposal to help the residents of Maui recover from the devastating Aug. 8 wildfires?

The most urgent need for Maui County post-fire recovery is addressing the extreme lack of affordable housing. We used to call it a housing crisis, but now it is a housing emergency. This housing emergency has begun to unravel the fabric of our community with at least 4,000 fire survivors making the disheartening decision to move off island and thousands of other full-time residents not directly impacted by the fires also having to leave.

We must update the Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan’s recommendations to include our affordable housing needs after the fires, and then we have to finally implement the plan – no more delays.

This requires an updated, efficient system for permitting and financing that prioritizes local residents over off-island investors. Additionally, we should adopt policies that promote equity and access to affordable monthly housing payments so that housing costs do not exceed 31% of a household’s income. Expanding the Affordable Housing Fund to cover infrastructure costs and housing supports is necessary to accomplish this. The Council must consider every possible opportunity to increase the number of available long-term housing units so we can bring our community back together and encourage those whoʻve left to return home.

This approach, combined with targeted investments in infrastructure and housing support, will ensure we can meet the needs of our local full-time residents, allowing them to rebuild their lives and create a sustainable future where every local resident has a place to call home. 

How would you like to see Lahaina rebuilt and what can the County Council do to make that happen?

My vision for Lāhaina is to reconstruct it as a sustainable community that deeply respects and honors its historical significance as the first Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Education about its history, including the stories of Hawaiian aliʻi like Kauikeouli – Kamehameha III, the namesake of the elementary school that burned in the fire, should be central to this effort.

Most importantly, Lāhainā’s generational ʻohana and cultural practitioners must have a primary voice in the rebuilding process to ensure that the town’s heritage is not only preserved but also respected.

Lāhainā was once called “the Venice of the Pacific” due to its abundant water flow, which sustained the community. Unfortunately, Lāhaina’s natural resources were mismanaged during the plantation era, leading to its current state. To rebuild, we must rectify these historical injustices by implementing sustainable land and water management practices. This approach will ensure Lāhainā is not only a place of historical reverence but also a thriving, sustainable community for future generations. 

Do you support or oppose a ban on short-term vacation rentals on Maui? Please explain.

I do not support a blanket ban on short-term vacation rentals on Maui at this time. Legal short-term vacation rentals can and do operate when they follow current permitting and zoning laws.

However, I do support the Mayor’s proposal to convert the Minatoya List A-1 and A-2 residential zoned properties to a residential use, once and for all. These properties continue to operate outside of their residential zoning and without permits. The Minatoya List is only a portion of the short term rental units on Maui, and a vast majority are owned by off-island investors. Once the Minatoya properties return to long-term residential use, there will still be about 6,000 legal short term rentals that continue to operate properly with current zoning laws and permits.

The fact is tourism does not belong in our residential neighborhoods – residents belong in our residential neighborhoods. But somewhere along the way, we got our priorities backwards! It’s time to close the loopholes that allow our residential zoned properties to operate as short term lodging to visitors so we can bring our ‘ohana back home to Hawai’i.

What can the county government do to help protect Maui, Lanai and Molokai from future wildfires?

To start, we can fund investments in modern and updated firefighting equipment like the Sikorsky 3 – 70 “Firehawk” and the Sikorsky S – 64 Aircrane Helitanker. The Firehawk has multi-mission capabilities for firefighting and rescue operations. I’m interested in hearing what our emergency responders believe will help them in their jobs.

We also need to improve communications with our community not only during an emergency but also when everything is going fine, so we can rebuild trust and understand what our community needs in the moment. There have been noticeable improvements in communication between emergency response and the community; we need to continue to do that. We also can begin to utilize temporary signage in fire prone areas during our summer season that informs people of fire risks and provides information on how to report something if they see something that could be a fire. Education on actions our community can take to protect their homes and neighborhoods must also be a priority.

Maui County Council needs to fund initiatives that create and support fire adapted communities and resilient landscapes. Additionally, we have to look closer at land management practices with a focus on reforestation of endemic trees and plants and putting ag land to it’s highest use.

How prepared is Maui County to deal with the next major natural disaster and what would you do to improve preparedness and responsiveness?

We are witnessing the answer to this question in real time as I respond to this questionnaire in July. There have been many fires recently, including the 500+ acre fire Upcountry on Hāleakalā and there has been more effective use of the MEMA Alerts notification system, we have seen MPD knock on residents doors to inform them of evacuation status, and we have seen improved collaboration across departments and agencies through timely implementation of Unified Command.

Having a highly qualified leader and team builder at MEMA with extensive emergency preparedness training, a calm attitude in the face of chaos, along with effective communication skills is an improvement. Supporting ongoing education in Incident Command Systems across all departments and for all personnel is a priority that is now getting implemented.

What idea would you propose to improve traffic congestion on the island of Maui?

I would increase bus transportation route stops and route runs so that there is increased accessibility to critical county locations and resources (social security office, DMV, healthcare resources, etc). I would make bus stops more accessible and welcoming to all people and during various weather conditions, especially with weather coverage for sun, precipitation, consideration of flood zones, etc. Also, I would look to retrofit and adapt infrastructure for multimodal transportation. Encourage more ride sharing and work with hotels to provide carpool arrangements for employees. I also support improvements to the Complete Streets policies on Maui as planned.

What are the best ways for county government to alleviate homelessness and to increase the availability of affordable housing?

To effectively reduce homelessness, Maui County should implement managed encampments and embrace the Housing First model. Managed encampments, like the puʻuhonua encampment, provide immediate, dignified shelter where residents contribute to daily operations, fostering responsibility and community. These encampments can also serve as transitional housing, facilitating the move to permanent homes.

Ensuring these solutions include access to supportive services such as healthcare, job training, and counseling is critical.  While building more housing is important, relying solely on developers without integrating supportive services does not address the root causes of homelessness. Additionally, the cost to build a unit of housing in Maui County is estimated at $300,000 or more, which is not affordable for the houseless population without substantial County and State incentives.

Housing First has proven effective in rapidly re-housing individuals and providing supportive services to help them stay housed and managed encampments can provide immediate relief when it is most needed. By integrating these models and ensuring wraparound services are readily accessible, we can create a sustainable and humane solution to homelessness on Maui.

Our goal should be that no one goes houseless.   


What can the county do to help residents cope with the overall high cost of living in Hawaii?

To help residents cope with the high cost of living in Maui County, we need comprehensive measures that address both affordability and wage stagnation. The County should work with the State Legislature and Worker’s Unions to move to a livable wage that is comparable to our high cost of living. Right now, Maui County is limited in our ability to pay our own workers a competitive wage due to wage negotiations at the State level beyond our control. Roughly 700 County jobs remain unfilled in part as a result of wage stagnation yet our unemployment rate is low. People shouldn’t have to work multiple jobs, just to scrape enough money together to pay for a roof over their heads and food on the table.

We also need to limit offshore investments in our real property and impose higher taxes on non-resident owners to deter speculative buying, a primary source of hyperinflation in housing for local residents. Prioritizing resident-first projects, such as generational housing, will provide stable and affordable living options for local families, ensuring they can stay and prosper. 


We should institute rental caps as outlined in the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan to keep housing costs in check. We should implement deed restrictions on county-financed affordable housing projects to better balance the county’s ability to recover investments while allowing families to build generational wealth. However, these properties must be restricted from becoming second homes: the focus should be on maintaining housing affordability in County funded housing projects.

Finally, we must ensure that more housing is owned by local full-time residents in perpetuity, creating a sustainable and thriving community where local families can live and prosper without the constant threat of being priced out. 

What more needs to be done to reduce crime on Maui County?

Higher wages and increased mental health and community services outreach.

Crimes of poverty are common occurrences on Maui and we have to address our wage stagnation problem while increasing community resources and outreach to vulnerable populations. We also can expand current workforce development training or vocational training programs to help people acquire new, highly employable skills that will be needed over the next 20 years.

What will be your top priority if elected?

My top priority is to build a more sustainable and resilient community. We do that through addressing the affordable housing emergency, increasing supports to farmers and ag producers, and developing a circular economy that supports living wages for our full-time residents.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I want the voters to remember that this isn’t an ordinary election year for Maui. This is the first opportunity we’ve had since the fires to choose better leadership to run our County and chart a better course for our future. The decision about Mauiʻs future is up to each of you!

I ask for your vote this November so we can change course and create a Maui that we are proud to leave to our seven generations.