Honolulu Civil Beat
Yuki Lei Sugimura
Maui County Mayor Candidate Q&As
Question 1
Why are you best suited for the job of mayor? And why do you want the job?
I’m running for mayor to re-focus local government on what matters most: keeping families together and at home. The rising cost of living is forcing impossible choices, and too many families are building futures away from Maui Nui. As mayor, I will bring deep community roots, proven county experience and leadership that prioritizes unity, collaboration and action. We will build homes for residents, ease economic burdens and support local businesses so careers can be created in Maui County.
Question 2
What is the biggest issue facing Maui County, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?
The biggest issue facing Maui County is the cost of living, driven above all by housing. With our median home price at $1.17M, families are struggling and our young people are leaving because they can’t afford to stay. This took decades to create and will take time to solve, but in my first six months, I will focus on two things: speeding up permit and project reviews so homes can actually get built and investing in water, wastewater and roadway infrastructure that unlocks home building.
Question 3
Here’s one question from a constituent: What is your position on upcountry speed humps? Would you remove them? Why or why not?
Local knowledge and input should drive decisions on speed humps. Residents know where drivers speed and where kids walk, and the county should respond to that knowledge rather than acting unilaterally. However, when clear safety risks are present, the county must act more quickly. If a community wants speed humps gone and there’s no compelling safety reason to keep them, then the county should listen. But, if removal would create a hazard, then we owe residents an honest conversation.
Question 4
The county has been moving forward with plans to bring much more of Maui’s water supply under public ownership instead of private. What are the obstacles to achieving that goal, and what is the cost?
The obstacles and costs vary by water system. Each potential water system acquisition must be evaluated against two goals: improving the reliability and affordability of water for residents, and protecting our natural resources. When an acquisition serves both goals, then the county should likely proceed. When an acquisition doesn’t serve both goals, then obstacles can arise. If the costs and obstacles are too significant, then the county should consider whether it’s prudent to proceed.
Question 5
Overtourism can degrade the environment, contribute to wear and tear on infrastructure, generate traffic and disrupt neighborhoods. What do you think about the amount of tourism on Maui and how it’s managed?
There’s no easy answer. Tourism is Maui Nui’s primary economic driver – more than 25% of our roughly 80,000 jobs depend on it, and local families rely on that income. But 2 million visitors each year brings real impacts to our environment, infrastructure and neighborhoods. The answer isn’t less tourism – it’s smarter tourism, built on education and outreach so visitors arrive informed and leave as better stewards, preserving local careers while protecting the place we call home.
Question 6
There are thousands of cesspools on Maui that must be removed by 2050. With an average cost of $15,000 to $30,000 to convert to septic, many homeowners say making the transition is not affordable. What should the county do to help with the conversion?
The county must prioritize Act 125 compliance, which requires all cesspools to be converted to septic or sewer by 2050. Maui County’s cesspools release an estimated 8 million gallons of raw sewage into the ground daily. But at $15,000 to $30,000 per conversion, the costs can significantly burden working families. The county should offer real property tax credits – up to $10,000 per removal completed before 2030 – applied over multiple years until fully used. We cannot wait until 2050 to act.
Question 7
Maui has been targeted for enforcement by ICE agents. What will be the position of your office to requests for more cooperation by county law enforcement and federal authorities?
Our county resources should not be used for ICE’s federal immigration enforcement.
Question 8
There is a growing mental health crisis on Maui, which faces a huge shortage in adult psychiatrists as well as primary care doctors. Outline what steps you will take to support efforts to meet that gap in services.
Maui Nui’s mental health crisis is deepened by compounding pressures – high costs, disaster trauma, and drugs – that feed one another. The same housing costs burdening residents are also driving away physicians, including doctors born and raised here. The county must partner with the state to expand services, including advocating for a Behavioral Health Crisis Center on Maui. Locally, I will strengthen the Department of Human Concerns through added staffing, funding and coordination.
Question 9
The $1.6 billion federal Community Block Development Grant is the largest disaster loan in U.S. history, but it falls far short of the estimates for recovery from the 2023 wildfires. What is the county doing to ensure those dollars are spent wisely and efficiently?
The CDBG award is the largest of its kind made to a local government, and it fills the gap after funding from insurance and FEMA. However, the goal is not to spend fast, but instead to productively use the funds to benefit affected residents. That means efficient accounting, public reporting and independent audits. But accountability is the expected standard here, not the main goal. The main goal is to return Lahaina families to their neighborhoods by doing this right the first time.
Question 10
What is your assessment of programs combating invasive species in Maui Nui and what other measures would you advocate for in office?
Invasive species degrade our watersheds, destroy native habitats and impose real costs on farmers and ranchers. As Mayor, I will increase the county’s collaboration with Maui Invasive Species Committee, whose boots-on-the-ground work has produced results for decades. I will also deepen partnerships with State agencies like DLNR, and more specifically, DOFAW. On the County Council, I led the creation of the Maui County Axis Deer Task Force, a model for the collaborative approach I’ll bring as Mayor.
Question 11
The county now has a law on the books to phase out several thousand vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts starting in 2029. The companion measure to grandfather in more than half of those properties has since been rejected by all three planning commissions. What should be done about this unresolved issue?
I voted against Bill 9 because most condos it covers were not designed as long-term homes. The Council’s investigative group found 70% – over 4,500 units – are unsuitable for residential housing, so phasing them out of short-term rentals eliminates an economic driver without delivering homes. That’s why I support Bill 88, which creates zoning districts where these units may continue as short-term rentals. As mayor, I will pursue alternative paths to develop real homes for local residents.
Question 12
How would you make the county administration more transparent and accessible to the public?
Government should feel like a partner that helps get things done, not a regulator looking for reasons to say no. For me, leadership begins with listening, and listening requires being accessible. That’s why I’ve been at the Upcountry Farmers Market every week since 2017 for my “Talk Story” sessions – it’s where I’ve learned the most about what’s working in our County and what isn’t. As mayor, my directors will be accessible, I will be easy to find, and my “Talk Story” sessions won’t stop.
Source: Honolulu Civil Beat candidate Q&A. mauielections.com does not endorse candidates or sponsoring organizations.