Draft State Budget Includes Molokai Projects

HI Senate News Release 

With the State’s economy rebounding and significant increases in tax revenues, Maui County’s Senate delegation is in full support of the supplemental operating budget for fiscal years 2022-2023 as recently passed out of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. 

“With funding set aside for infrastructure, education, housing and health on the Valley Isle and statewide, we are heartened in anticipation of the needed work that will be done to improve the lives of our neighbors and friends on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai,” Senators Gilbert Keith-Agaran (District 5 – Wailuku, Waihe‘e, Kahului), Rosalyn Baker (District 6 – South and West Maui), Lynn DeCoite (District 7 – Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kaho‘olawe) said in a joint statement.  

The Senate draft of the State’s supplemental budget includes the following highlights for Maui County including some that may affect Molokai: 

• Add $2,000,000 in general funds in FY22 for early learning classrooms.  

• Add $94,000,000 in general funds in FY23 for a pilot teacher salary modernization project. 

• Add $34,500,000 in general funds in FY23 for teacher salary differentials. 

• Add $3,026,000 in bond funds for Molokai High School athletic facilities.

• Add $1,000,000 for holistic student support and mental health services. 
• Add $33,333,334 in general funds in FY23 for the State match for the statewide broadband initiative. 
• Add $45,500,000 in general funds in FY22 for centralized kitchens for the Farm-to-School program. 

• Add $600,000,000 in general funds in FY23 for homestead housing, including $30,000,000 for the Hoʻolehua – Naʻiwa Agricultural Subdivision, Molokai, a project for 58 new agricultural lots. 
• Add $112,386,000 in FY23 for down payment assistance and mortgage payment assistance to beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, of 1920. 
• Add $500,000 in bond funds towards a Kalaupapa Memorial Monument. 

• Add $2,000,000 in funds for FY23, including $260,000 for emergency food assistance program – Maui County. 

• Add $1,700,000 in general funds in FY23 for animal removal, applied research, surveys, and public outreach and education. 

• Add $1,300,000 in general funds in FY23 of which $800,000 is appropriated for Axis Deer and ungulate fencing for local farmers. 

• Add $1,000,000 in general funds in FY23 for Axis Deer mitigation. 

• Add $3,456,489 in general funds in FY23 to address the Statewide nursing workforce. 

• Add $2,000,000 and 12.00 positions in general funds in FY23 for coastal erosion. 

• Add $3,340,000 and 6.00 positions in general funds in FY23 to expand JABSOM’s residency program to the neighbor islands.