Maui County is searching for citizens who want to apply for the newly created Independent Nomination Board, a volunteer body charged with helping to recruit, select and vet nominees for dozens of boards and commissions. 

The nomination board was created by voters last year through a charter amendment that aimed to make the appointment process less political by giving a group of residents from across Maui, Molokai and Lanai the power to help decide who steers important government bodies. Right now, the mayor or County Council have that responsibility. 

The nomination board members will be charged with recruiting, interviewing and nominating the people they think are most qualified to guide boards and commissions that shape their community’s future. Some of the boards and commissions tackle Maui County’s most pressing challenges, ranging from homelessness to government ethics to community planning to police accountability. 

The nomination board will also be tasked with helping to choose critical roles for the local government including the County Auditor, County Clerk, Corporation Counsel and Prosecuting Attorney, according to the county’s website.

Applications to join the board are due by 4:30 p.m. on June 29, according to a news release from the mayor’s office. The board will be made up of nine members — one from each council residency area — who serve five-year terms. 

The county has more information and the application to join the Independent Nomination Board on its website. Residents can email their applications to boards.commissions@mauicounty.gov or mail them to: Office of the Mayor, c/o Boards and Commissions, 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793.

For additional information, call the county at 808-270-7855.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.