The Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee passed out a $1.07 billion county budget on Thursday.

The council committee version is just a notch less than Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed $1.08 billion budget.

In the committee’s version, council members are proposing $920,291 for operations and $151,143 for capital improvement projects.

The committee version will now head to the full council for two readings with May 23 tentatively scheduled for first reading. The council has until June 10 to pass its version of the budget or the Mayor’s submitted budget will be deemed approved.

“We worked with the administration to balance the county needs, for a fiscally responsible budget,” said Committee Chairwoman Yuki Lei Sugimura in an email Friday afternoon. “Each councilmember collaborated and did a good job in approaching the budget in a responsible manner.”

Sugimura added, “We significantly accelerated the pay down of long-term debt to the Post-Employment Obligations with a $10 million dollar pay down. This money earns 7 percent interest and we will continue to pay this down and pay off this long term liability.”

She also referenced the in-person countywide meetings held this past session to hear from residents. The meetings had been paused the last several years due to COVID-19, she added.

Bissen said on Friday afternoon in a statement: “I appreciate the leadership of Budget, Finance and Economic Development Chair Sugimura and the hard work and countless hours she and fellow council members and their staff have put into bringing the proposed budget to this crucial juncture. I believe the preparation and review process of the budget along with our community’s involvement and interest is a great reflection of how a responsible and responsive government can work.”

Sugimura said that the committee concurred with Bissen on his proposed real property tax rates which they kept the same. The rates still need to be approved by the full council.

The majority of Bissen’s proposed property tax rates remained flat from the current fiscal year.

The only proposed increase comes in the highest tier in the owner-occupied classification, as those with property valued at more than $3 million could see their rate increase from $2.71 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed valuation to $2.75.

Bissen also proposed a 10-cent decrease in the first two tiers in the owner-occupied classification. Those with property valued at less than $1 million could see their rates go from $2 to $1.90, while those with property valued at more than $1 million to $3 million could see their rates drop from $2.10 to $2 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed valuation.

* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.