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Three years into Lahaina's recovery, we know what it means to fight for our community. We have challenged the county when it fell short, demanded accountability and pushed for decisions that put local families first. We have never been afraid to speak up, and we are not about to start now.
But we also know the difference between promises and progress.
Under the current administration, Maui County has secured $1.6 billion in federal disaster recovery funding, advanced housing recovery programs and moved forward on rebuilding efforts. Homes are being rebuilt, and years of conversations about public stewardship of our water is West Maui, restoration and protection of culturally significant 'āina, and housing for local families are beginning to turn into agreements, investments and actual projects.
We are beginning to see the fruits of our labor, but they are not ripe enough to pick yet. These are not small issues. They are fundamental to whether our people can come home, whether our resources serve our community, and whether future generations will be able to remain in Lahaina.
None of this means the work is finished. Families remain displaced, housing still remains out of reach for many, and we will continue to hold our elected officials accountable for delivering results. Recognizing progress does not mean abandoning our responsibility to demand more.
It means understanding what is at stake if the work loses momentum. A change in mayoral administration brings changes across county departments, leadership teams, working relationships and priorities. At this critical stage of recovery, those transitions could disrupt coordination, delay decisions and slow the implementation of programs our families are counting on. We have already experienced what it costs when the government is learning while our community is in crisis. We cannot afford to dismiss that risk now.
We will not stand for our recovery being halted, delayed or started over to serve outside interests. Our recovery isn't a bargaining chip and it should be centered on its people and the work already underway to bring our community home.
And whoever leads Maui County next must understand that our recovery is not theirs to start over. It is our community's work to help carry forward. Lahaina will not stand to have our recovery halted or delayed.
We are asking our community to look at the record, recognize the progress and consider what continuity means at this moment. The work of rebuilding Lahaina is far from over, and the decisions ahead will shape our community for generations.
We have fought too hard for housing, water and ʻāina to treat this moment like business as usual. We believe the progress being made under the current administration is worth protecting, and we want to see this work carried through -- not interrupted at such a critical moment in Lahaina's recovery.
As you cast your vote this November, we ask you to think about Lahaina: Our families still fighting to come home, our housing, our water and the future of our community as well. The decisions made in this election will shape our recovery for years to come.
Lahaina has too much at stake. We need to keep the work moving forward, not risk losing momentum when our community needs it most.
Lahaina has too much at stake to start over.
This column was written by Eric Arquero, a resident of Lahaina, with help from Jordan Ruidas, Mikey Burke, Autumn Ness, Glenn Gazmen, Haia and Carolyn Auweloa, Kala Baybayan Tanaka, Kaliko Storer, Tamara Paltin, Shannon I'i, Karyn Kanekoa, Ke'aumoku and U'i Kapu, Kaipo Kekona and Rina Sampson.