mtanji@mauinews.com
Visitor accommodations could see an increase in taxes under a Maui County Council committeeâs current budget proposal. Committee members are raising taxes in hopes of generating more money for affordable housing.
The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
High-priced homes and visitor accommodations could see property tax hikes, while owners of more affordable homes could experience some relief under a proposal by the Maui County Council’s budget committee.
An increase in taxes for hotels and resorts, short-term rentals and timeshares, as well as for properties worth more than $1.5 million could provide more funding for affordable housing, said committee members, who are hammering out tax rates as they near the end of their review of Mayor Michael Victorino’s proposed fiscal year 2022 budget. The highest-tier categories also have the means to pay more, they added.
kcerizo@mauinews.com
Tasaka Guri-Guri co-owner Gail Saito poses with cousin Kelly Kohatsu in the iconic Maui Mall shop Thursday afternoon. Saito said Kohatsu is the fastest guri-guri scooper in the land. The iconic mom-and-pop operation is one of the legacy small businesses that survived 2020, a hopeful sign for Mauiâs cultural and economic climate moving forward. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a limited series looking back on the year since COVID-19 arrived in Maui County. Each story will explore an industry directly impacted and reshaped by the pandemic. Today’s feature focuses on small businesses.
thayer@maui.net
Maui Bread Company owners Christine and Steve Lange present a pretzel lei to Maui Chamber of Commerce President Pamela Tumpap during Friday morningâs blessing ceremony for the companyâs store and bake shop at Dolphin Plaza in Kihei. The German couple with a passion for artisan breads bought the business just months before the pandemic started. They said after a long journey and delays due to worldwide circumstances, they were pleased to have the blessing. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
KIHEI – Steve and Christine Lange say many coincidences paved the way for them to become the owners of the Maui Bread Company Store and Bake Shop in Kihei.
cuechi@mauinews.com
Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino delivers a virtual State of the County address on Tuesday night in a prerecorded message from the Maui Preparatory Academyâs Bozich Center. AKAKU screenshot
Calling the people of Maui County “our greatest strength” over a year of health and economic challenges, Mayor Michael Victorino highlighted the organizations who stepped up to help and the community leaders definining the “new normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Victorino delivered his virtual State of the County address Tuesday night in a prerecorded message from Maui Preparatory Academy’s new Bozich Center, a marked contrast from the speech given in February last year when he spoke to an unmasked crowd at an indoor gym.
Hawaii Tourism plans for Maui, Molokai and Lanai
3 weeks ago
The Destination Management Action Plan will serve as a guide to rebuild, redefine, and reset the direction of tourism on the three islands that make up Maui Nui.
Focus is on key actions that the community, visitor industry, and other sectors deem necessary over a three-year period.
Actions are based on four interacting pillars – Natural Resources, Hawaiian Culture, Community, and Brand Marketing.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has published the 2021-2023 Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP). It is part of HTA’s strategic vision and continuing efforts to manage tourism in a responsible and regenerative manner. It was developed by the residents of Maui, Molokai and Lanai, and in partnership with the County of Maui and Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau (MVCB). The DMAP serves as a guide to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism on the three islands that make up Maui Nui. It identifies