Maui mayor proposes new park, highway expansion, no new taxes
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — Maui County would buy 400 acres to build fairgrounds and a civic center and a separate 100 acres to create a West Maui coastal park and expand Honoapi'ilani Highway, under proposals unveiled yesterday by Mayor Alan Arakawa.
The ideas are included in a $267 million operating budget for fiscal year 2004 that proposes no new taxes.
Arakawa, giving his first State of the County address before a crowd in the Maui County Council Chambers, said he would vigorously pursue affordable housing proposals, work to diversify agriculture and emphasize environmental protection.
The mayor described the state of the county as "decidedly mixed" — still reeling from revenue losses from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and what he described as overspending by the former administration of James "Kimo" Apana.
While revenues have been bolstered by increasing property values, the administration was still forced to cut spending sharply and departments were asked to restrict their budget requests, Arakawa said.
The budget does allow for several capital improvements, including a $14 million bond expenditure for acquisition of 400 acres near Kuihelani Highway and Waiko Road in Waikapu. Arakawa said he envisions a regional community center, fairgrounds, a park, a convention center and a new civic center to replace the nine-story Kalana O Maui building in Wailuku.
"Let's face it. This building is literally falling apart. Something has to give," Arakawa said.
The budget also proposes a $4 million acquisition of a 100-acre shoreline property in Ukumehame. The expenditure would allow for four-lane expansion of Honoapi'ilani Highway — the primary link between West Maui and the rest of the island — and creation of a coastal park, camping areas and bikeway.
Other major expenditures include $650,000 for a juvenile drug court program, $550,000 in matching dollars for a helicopter air ambulance system and $500,000 for environmental issues, including maintaining the Environmental Work Force crews that battle threats such as miconia and dengue fever.
Apana, who was on hand to hear Arakawa's speech, told The Advertiser afterward that he was glad that his successor is moving forward on the Ukumehame coastal land acquisition — a project that the former mayor had proposed.
But Apana was not enthusiastic about a new location for the county building. "If you're truly committed to revitalizing Wailuku town, you can't take out its biggest employer," he said.
The former mayor also questioned Arakawa's assertion that the Apana administration overspent. "He's exaggerating to make it look like things were in terrible shape," Apana said.
