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

The following comes from Kauanoe Batangan, nonpartisan candidate and incumbent for Maui County Council Member Kahului District.

His opponents in the Aug. 8 primary election are Jason Ababan and Carol Lee Kamekona.

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 running to protect the place we all know and love, while ensuring our families can actually afford to stay here. As a generational resident with proven experience at the local, state and federal levels, I bring a unique perspective to the Maui County Council. Leveraging my leadership across both the legislative and executive branches, I will continue streamlining operations, optimizing our budget, and delivering on our community’s critical needs.

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?

The cost of living is the single biggest issue impacting our residents. To address this, I will prioritize expanding affordable housing, diversifying our economy, and strengthening community health and social services to uplift everyone from keiki to kūpuna. This means cutting the bureaucratic red tape that delays housing projects, investing in industries outside of tourism, and ensuring our recovery and social safety nets are robust enough so no family is left behind.

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

I believe our priority must be ensuring the built environment keeps everyone safe. Speed humps play an important role in calming traffic and protecting neighborhoods, and I support keeping them in place where necessary. However, they aren’t the only solution. We should also utilize a full toolkit of modern traffic-calming measures—such as high-visibility crosswalks, protected sidewalks and bike lanes, radar speed signs, and smart street design—to protect our community effectively.

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 voted in favor of creating the H3/H4 zoning classifications to help manage our housing landscape. Moving forward, I will work closely with my colleagues on the council to rezone specific properties impacted by Bill 9 that make sense to continue as short-term vacation rentals. Our goal must be a balanced approach that creates and protects long-term housing for local residents while offering fair land-use solutions for impacted properties that fit naturally into our visitor industry.

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?

To increase food sustainability, local agriculture must be a cornerstone of community resilience. Following our wildfire recovery efforts, I mandated that the county create a food security plan, and I fully support its findings. Moving forward, I will champion expanding farming infrastructure, protecting agricultural lands, and creating targeted incentives to support local producers. I also strongly support expanding cold storage capacity to reduce waste and secure our food supply.

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 will advocate for upgrading aging infrastructure to prevent waste, protecting our natural watersheds, and ensuring transparent, accountable resource management. My priority is to ensure equitable access to water, protect local agriculture and prioritize the long-term needs of our community.

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?

While I support tourism for its economic benefits, it must remain concentrated in resort districts so we can protect our residential neighborhoods. I will prioritize our community’s quality of life by implementing the Destination Management Action Plans for Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. In particular, I will advocate for stricter short-term rental enforcement, regenerative tourism, and community-driven stewardship of local hotspots.

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

To get ahead of climate change, we must shift from crisis response to proactive mitigation. As MDOT deputy director and Maui MPO executive director, I facilitated planning and financing efforts to decarbonize our transit fleet. On the County Council, I voted to fund critical initiatives in Maui’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan. Moving forward, I will ensure we continue to invest in the proactive solutions required to protect our island home.

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 believe our community is safest when there is strong public trust between residents and the Maui Police Department. For that reason, I do not support entangling MPD with ICE operations, ensuring local law enforcement remains focused on everyday safety needs. My priority is safeguarding the civil liberties of all our families so everyone feels safe and secure working with our police officers.

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?

To make limited recovery dollars count, transparency and community input are essential. Because CDBG-DR funds can be obligated by the administration without council approval, I support requiring regular, detailed reporting to the council and structured public engagement. Our residents deserve complete visibility and a direct say in how we manage these vital resources to rebuild Upcountry and West Maui.

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?

Lowering the cost of living requires housing stability and clear pathways to higher incomes. I support expanding workforce housing initiatives and public infrastructure investments to bring development costs down. By securing rental safeguards, reforming property taxes to favor local residents, and championing a diversified economy that raises local wages, we can give families a stable foundation to plant generational roots.

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

Our current efforts are simply not enough to protect Maui Nui from the devastating impacts of invasive species. I will advocate for expanded county investment to fund critical containment and eradication initiatives. We must strengthen biosecurity partnerships with state and nonprofit partners while scaling up community education and reporting. Protecting our ecosystem requires proactive leadership, public funding and community collaboration.