For the past two years, we have had a council that faced serious issues and worked very cooperatively together. Four of the five Ohana candidates elected in 2018 — council members King, Paltin, Rawlins-Fernandez and Sinenci — secured the cooperation of very experienced members Mike Molina and Alice Lee to pass major legislation on affordable housing, food security, and work to provide water to all users.

Significantly, all six of these council members voted to place seven charter amendments on our November ballots. One measure will limit any mayor to two four-year terms in office, another will limit council members to five two-year terms.

Another amendment will upgrade Maui County to a county manager system similar to that used by a majority of U.S. cities and counties our size. Citizens have advocated this step for a decade. It will make county government more professional, eliminate turnover between administrations, discourage cronyism and save money.

Another amendment will create a separate county department of agriculture. Fires and water shortages across the West and floods in the Midwest endanger our distant food supply. This amendment will help farmers and ranchers grow food to feed our families.

With the visitor industry on a long pause, the next two years will test Maui county to the max. When you vote, choose wisely. Our best choice is to vote for the seven Ohana Candidates and vote Yes on all seven Charter Amendments.

Mark Sheehan

Haiku