July 7, 2026, 9 a.m.
Kalana O Maui Building
To: Maui County Council
Alice Lee, Chair
Yuki Lei Sugimura, Vice Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Analyst
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: Bill 96 (2026) — ON CARRYOVER SAVINGS AND COUNCIL-INITIATED APPROPRIATIONS
Aloha Chair Lee, Vice Chair Sugimura and other members of the Council,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 96 (2026), which would require the mayor’s office to submit a report to the County Council 10 days prior to submitting the proposed annual operating budget. Such a report would include information on whether — and why — any Council-initiated appropriations were not encumbered during the fiscal year.
Under this bill, the mayor would also be required to submit information for any budget amendments that involve carryover savings, including where the savings would come from and whether the savings would come from a Council-initiated budget item.
Grassroot believes these changes could give Maui residents greater insight into the county budgeting process and would empower the Council to make the administration of taxpayer resources more transparent.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Analyst
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
1050 Bishop St. #508 | Honolulu, HI 96813 | 808-864-1776 | info@grassrootinstitute.org
