When Nara Boone’s phone rang a few months ago, she never expected to answer and
hear the question: “Will you consider running for Maui County Council?”
Boone says that’s when the thought came to her. “I remember thinking: ‘I could help
the community on a larger scale,”‘ she recalled. “So I said yes.”
The St. Anthony School alumna is known by many for her voice – as a singer, voice
teacher and an advocate for her community.
“This is my home … and if there’s anything I can do to make my home better for
everyone, I’ll do it,” she said. Boone says what ultimately led her to run for office was
her love for Maui County and a passion for helping others, a trait she attributes to her
late mother, Tina “The Midwife” Garzero.
Boone said helping families is the central focus of her campaign. She says she has
witnessed far too many local families struggling to survive in Maui County and cannot
stand idly by.
“I can keep screaming into the wind or I can try to do something about it,” she said.
There’s a long list of issues she would address as a council member, but Boone says
creating more affordable housing opportunities, improving residents’ quality of life
and making Maui County more walkable and bikeable are among her top priorities.
On the issue of affordable housing, she said, “We have to get this under
control … too many people are moving away because they don’t have a place
to live.” If elected, Boone said she will look at repurposing vacant buildings, as
well as smart development that would incorporate open spaces and Complete
Streets concepts. She would also explore the possibility of restricting short term
rentals within a certain distance of schools to give more local families
the opportunity to live in closer proximity to campuses.
Boone’s mission to make Maui County more pedestrian-friendly stems from a
personal tragedy: Her father, John “Chico” Boone, was fatally struck by a
vehicle while cycling in 1996. Boone said she would use a Complete Streets
approach to make Maui County roadways safer for pedestrians, cyclists and
motorists alike. She said she would also create as many greenways as possible,
citing their social, environmental and health benefits. Other plans include
establishing child care centers in county workplaces, closing the gender pay
gap for county workers and providing county-sponsored training programs
and subsidized housing for teachers, nurses and other essential workers.
Boone said she would also work to create more facilities to care for kupuna, as
well as a standalone birth center and breast milk bank.
“How we emerge into the world matters,” she said. “We are only as healthy
as our women and children.”
If she is elected in November, Boone said she would bring a collaborative
spirit to the council.
“I’m one of nine kids,” she said. “I know how to work with many different
personalities.”
Boone said she knows all too well the power of using one’s voice and pledges
to always listen to residents’ concerns and ideas as a council member.
“I’ll make sure people’s voices are heard,” she said.