For Immediate Release: September 17, 2026
Press Release by:
Kauanoe Batangan, Chair
Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee
media@mauicounty.us
Eight proposed Maui County Charter amendments to be on general election ballot
WAILUKU, Hawaiʻi (Sept. 17, 2026)—Councilmember Kauanoe Batangan announced today that the Nov. 3 general election ballot will include eight proposed amendments to the Maui County Charter.
Batangan said the Department of the Corporation Counsel has prepared explanations of the proposals, which will be in the state Office of Elections’ voter guide next month and are already online at https://mauicounty.us/great. The Office of the County Clerk said voters should expect to see the General Election ballot packet in mailboxes the week of Oct. 19.
“I encourage Maui County voters to learn about ballot measures well in advance of election day,” said Batangan, who chairs the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee, which vetted most of the proposals. “The Maui County Charter serves as our local government’s constitution, establishing how our community is governed, how public resources are managed and how public officials are held accountable.”
Under the charter, the council may propose amendments by passing resolutions approved by at least six of the nine councilmembers on two readings. The eight resolutions and their corresponding ballot questions are listed below.
Resolution 25-135:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective January 2, 2027, to provide clarity and consistency in deadlines for planning commission review of revisions to the general plan, zoning ordinances, and other land use ordinances proposed by the council, and transmittal of related findings and recommendations to the council?”
Resolution 25-216:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective January 1, 2027, to standardize the deadlines related to the clerk’s processing of petitions related to voter initiative, recall of elected officers or board or commission members, and charter amendments?”
Resolution 25-217, CD1:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective January 1, 2027, to establish a formula for computing Charter deadlines that excludes weekends and holidays?”
Resolution 26-61, FD1:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective January 1, 2028, to streamline the process for filing claims for personal injury or property damage by requiring that claims are filed directly with the Director of Finance or as provided by ordinance?”
Resolution 26-85:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective upon passage, by removing the English translation of the Hawaii State motto in the Maui County Charter Preamble, allowing the original phrase, “Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono,” to stand on its own?”
Resolution 26-88, CD1:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective January 2, 2027, to allow the Mayor, with approval from the Council, to pass an emergency appropriation for an application for a line of credit and clarify that the one percent limitation for emergency appropriations does not apply to funds that have already been allocated to an emergency fund?”
Resolution 26-93, CD1, FD1:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective immediately, to repeal the parts of the 2022 Charter amendment that created the Independent Nomination Board and related procedures for nominations for various County officers?”
Resolution 26-95, CD1, FD1:
“Shall the Charter be amended, effective upon approval, to authorize the Mayor to reappoint members of the Board of Ethics of the County of Maui, with the approval of the Council, for one successive term without an intervening waiting period?”
For more information on the proposed charter amendments and the Nov. 3 general election, visit mauicountyvotes.gov.
