Mayor Victorino vetoes hotel construction moratorium bill

News Release from Office of the Mayor, July 20, 2021

Mayor Michael Victorino has vetoed Bill 60. The bill seeks to establish a two-year moratorium on building permits for visitor accommodation developments in West and South Maui.

“I share the Maui County Council’s desire to better manage the growing number of visitors to our islands, but Bill 60 won’t accomplish that. It will simply limit the choice of visitor accommodations in five to ten years.” Mayor Victorino said. “The bill fails to address short-term rental homes or bed-and-breakfast accommodations that operate in existing houses. Over the past 20 years, the increase in Maui visitor accommodations has come primarily from vacation rental units. I am also concerned about unintended consequences such as pushing hospitality developments into communities outside of Maui’s resort areas.  

“Bill 60 failed to follow the process required by the County Charter and has legal deficiencies that will make Maui County vulnerable to lengthy litigation. There is more comprehensive legislation pending before the Council’s Planning and Sustainability Land Use Committee that is going through the proper process and aims to reduce short-term rental home permits allowed in each or our community plan districts. 

“I strongly urge Councilmembers to reconsider passage of Bill 60. We need thoughtful, community-driven and comprehensive initiatives to set a post-pandemic course for Maui County’s economic recovery.”  

PBN: Maui Mayor vetoes moratorium on hotel development bill  

Victorino: Moratorium bill didn’t address the real problem: Vacation rentals