Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi General Election on Nov. 3 to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Jon Yokouchi, Nonpartisan candidate for Maui County Council Upcountry District.

His opponents are Derrick Cabiles, John Guard and Bobby Pahia.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of council member, and why do you want the job?

I am older and I’ve learned from my mistakes. And being older and wiser will make a huge difference being in a place like the council. Hopefully if elected, I would love to help Maui move forward in terms of sustainable growth. But first of all Maui needs water and I hope to contribute to helping dig for more wells and reservoirs for Upcountry.

What is the biggest issue facing Maui County, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

Maui needs water – that would be the first thing I address.

Here’s one question from a constituent: What is your position on upcountry speed humps? Would you remove them? Why or why not?

Probably not remove them, but I would try not to add more.

The county now has a law on the books to effectively phase out several thousand vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts starting in 2029. The companion measure to grandfather in more than half of those properties has since been rejected by all three planning commissions. What would you do as a council member about this?

I would try to grandfather in the ones that are already in the resort area but make them pay all the taxes and resort fees just like the hotels do. Kauaʻi does it just like that. It’s tough for the people who’ve grown to depend on the income. I understand where they’re coming from.

Hawai‘i has a long-stated goal of growing more of its own food. What would you do to further that effort toward increased food sustainability?

Mahi Pono is doing a great job for the island. I buy meats that are raised on Maui. I think Maui is headed in the right direction.

The county has been moving forward with plans to bring much more of Maui’s water supply under public ownership instead of private. What steps would you take to get a better handle on Maui’s water future?

I would try to convince the council that we need to drill for more wells. From what I know, Maui Land and Pineapple are in the midst of selling wells to the county. Which is good. But trying to wrestle wells away from East Maui Irrigation is not a good thing. Because the county is paying East Maui Irrigation $.06 for every thousands of gallons, which right now is the cheapest in the state. If the county ran the wells themselves, they would pay far more. Just does not make any sense.

Overtourism can degrade the environment, contribute to wear and tear on infrastructure, generate traffic and disrupt neighborhoods. How well is Maui managing the tourism industry that drives its economy? What would you do differently?

Until Maui can become more self sufficient, I think the hotel industry is doing a good job. Mahi Pono is a positive entity going forward.

What should Maui County do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting and adapting to it?

Just do our part in curbing climate change. Buying electrical cars, burning less coal and possibly damming one of the smaller valleys. Maui is such a small part of the world but it’s important to start doing our parts individually.

Maui has been targeted for enforcement by ICE agents. What will be the position of your office to requests for more cooperation between county law enforcement and federal authorities?

I don’t like what ICE is doing — if they could be a little more subtle that would be great. But if the federal government needs our help I would help them, even if I don’t agree with them.

The $1.6 billion federal Community Block Development Grant is the largest disaster loan in U.S. history, but it falls far short of the estimates for recovery from the 2023 wildfires. What would you do to make those dollars count?

I would ask the council to hire a team to go over individual cases one by one. If it falls short and if no one were to come out of this happy, then I think the committee will have done its job.

The cost of living on Maui continues to remain high. How can county government help working and middle-class people buy homes, pay rent or otherwise afford to live and work on the island?

This is the main reason I’m running for council. We need more water and with more water more subdivisions, more commercial businesses and more construction jobs will happen. But people will be at work. More jobs for everyone. More jobs and then our children can have a choice to stay and live and grow old on Maui.

What is your assessment of programs combating invasive species in Maui Nui and what other measures would you advocate for you in office?

All I know is that we’re losing the battle. Coqui frogs, rhinoceros beetles and others — we need to do more.