I support a charter amendment establishing a county manager for Maui County that works in conjunction with the mayor. As our county grows, so do our challenges. I believe it’s appropriate for a professional, nonpolitical manager to add continuity to the operations that keep our county functioning. Core services like water, trash and public safety operations should not be connected to politics.

I support our community’s right to choose their own form of governance, which is why I was disappointed by the failure of the County Council’s Policy, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee to put the county manager charter amendment on the ballot this November. Task forces, community organizations and committees have spent years deliberating on this matter, and it is time for the public to have a chance to vote on it.

I realize there can be logistical challenges with implementing any new form of governance, and in order to examine and remedy these, I pledge to implement the county manager model as mayor. I will appoint a hiring committee, who will help interview and hire a professional county manager to serve as my chief operating officer to help recruit and hire qualified directors.

In doing so, I hope to demonstrate that this new form of county governance can be not only successful, but beneficial to our community. By being a positive county manager model, it is my hope that the next council will feel comfortable and confident enough to put it on the ballot, for the people of Maui to decide.

Elle Cochran

Member, County Council

Lahaina