Economy
Cost of living, tourism dependence, county spending, and the tax base — and what each leading candidate says is going wrong and what should change.
“The economy” is not a yes/no vote. Leading candidates agree Maui is too dependent on tourism and too expensive for many working families — then diverge on what broke, who is accountable, and what to do next.
Use the cards below for each candidate’s framing. For the binary fight over short-term rentals, see Housing & Bill 9. Contested studies (including UHERO) are presented with both sides’ attributions on that page.
Where leading candidates stand
Richard T. Bissen Jr.
Housing-first fiscal tradeoffHow they frame the problem
Maui’s core economic failure is that working families cannot afford to live here. Short-term vacation rentals in apartment zones worsened scarcity; county government must convert housing stock and absorb fiscal disruption from Bill 9 while protecting recovery and services.
What they say should happen
Defend Bill 9’s housing goals; manage the projected revenue gap through the administration’s budget and recovery agenda rather than repealing the phase-out; keep emphasizing affordable housing production and federal recovery dollars as the path to a livable local economy.
Summarized from administration record and public statements in the research brief. Contested revenue and job projections (including UHERO) are cited by both sides elsewhere on this site.
Yuki Lei Sugimura
Protect the tax baseHow they frame the problem
County policy — especially Bill 9 — risks large property-tax and visitor-related revenue losses (~$60M property tax and ~$15M GET/TAT figures she has cited) that fund services, while tourism-dependent jobs and small businesses absorb the shock. Infrastructure and permitting delays also choke housing and growth.
What they say should happen
Do not seek repeal of Bill 9, but minimize economic damage; pair housing goals with “pipes, permits, and pavement”; emphasize fiscal discipline, accountability, and diversifying beyond tourism so the county can build without gutting its tax base.
Summarized from council record and campaign framing in local coverage and the research brief.
P. Denise La Costa
Cost Cutter“Cutting costs. Making Maui affordable again.”
How they frame the problem
County government itself is driving unaffordability — budget growth of roughly 46% (FY2023–FY2026), about $174M in carryover savings, and stacked fee/tax increases (fuel tax, GET surcharge, sewer, water, vehicle weight tax) while families fall behind. Bill 9, in her view, worsens jobs and revenue without building homes.
What they say should happen
Cost Cutter plan — county fuel-tax holiday (24¢/gal), independent forensic audit, return excess revenue; Homes Together redirects STR property-tax dollars (~$65M/year per campaign) into local ownership and rent relief; repeal Bill 9 packaged with that program.
Campaign positions from mayorlacosta2026.com/cost-cutter and homes-together. Household savings figures are campaign models, not official county estimates.