Fiscal Year 2022
Community Budget Testimony

Agency: Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. (MEO)
Program: MEO Human Services Transportation and Paratransit Services
Name: Debbie Cabebe, CEO
Email Address: debbie.cabebe@meoinc.org
Budget Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez and committee members,
During this year, MEO transportation services have continued to serve our county. Our staff have been flexible and responsive to the needs of each community. We have modified operations to ensure the safety of our clients and staff. We are thankful for the support the council and administration has given our programs.
As many of you know, MEO operates two transportation programs for the county. MEO Human Services was established in 1969 as the first transit system for Maui County. MEO transportation is truly a lifeline for low-income individuals, persons with disabilities, seniors and youth, particularly those living in rural areas of Maui Island and on the islands of Molokai and Lanai.
MEO has operated the Public Transit Paratransit for the past 8 years. Paratransit services are an extension of the public transit system, serving persons with disabilities residing within ¾ miles of the fixed route system.
MEO Human Services:
MEO requests $6,200,000 to fund MEO Human Services operations for FY 2022. For fiscal year 2021, the council funded the program at $7,009,708; however due to a decrease in ridership during COVID-19, the administration allotted $5,651,728 for FY 2021 Human Services operations.
For FY 2022, the administration has proposed funding MEO Human Services at $5,800,000. We request that the budget be set at $6,200,000. This will allow us to cover the costs associated with our collective bargaining agreement and an increase in insurance and other operating costs. With many residents receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, we expect ridership to increase during the 2022 fiscal year.
Our $6,200,000 request is $809,708 less than the council’s 2021 adopted budget.
Public Transit Program:
MEO requests a 3% increase to its current billable hour rate from $78.28 to $80.62. We currently have an operating deficit of about $150,000 due to flat funding and mandated prevailing wage increases as well as additional benefits required under the collective bargaining agreement. Fiscal year 2022 will be year four of a five year contract. In the past three years, we paid mandated prevailing wage increases at an average of 6.5% in year one, 3.2% in year two and 3.2% in year three. Our current billable hourly rate is not sufficient to cover these increases.
We do not expect the change in the billable hourly rate to increase the administration’s proposed budget allotment. While this may sound counter intuitive, the reduction in ridership will offset the costs of the billable hours rate increase but still allows MEO to cover the actual cost of opertions.
We respectfully ask for your consideration and appreciate your support of all of MEO programs.

April 14, 2021

The Maui County Office of Economic Development

To Whom It May Concern;

Aloha! I am Wesley Kosaka, and I am testifying on BFED-1 in support of the Maui Economic Board’s Development Grant under the Maui County Office of Economic Development. I’d like to thank the board for their generous donations that have allowed me to compete in VEX IQ competitions. Over the last three years, their financial support has allowed me to do everything, from registrations, to competitions, to travel, and even given me part kits and game elements.
I have competed in robotics through Pukalani Elementary School, in both fourth grade and fifth grade, and both years the Maui Economic Board’s generous support has allowed me to compete. What I’ve been able to do in the past two years because of those opportunities, have given me an insight into robotics, and new aspects of technology like engineering and programming. It is only because of these two years of experience that I have been able to continue robotics this year, in the COVID-19 pandemic, with essentially no team help. In fourth grade, I had the amazing experience of going to the National VEX IQ competition. It was one of the best, most life-enriching times I’ve ever had in my life. I got to compare our team’s engineering thought process with other team’s, and I got to improve on our design because of it.
I have been able to do so much because of the board, and I am so grateful. They have helped me so much in growing and learning as a person. Supporting the Maui Economic Development Board has great benefits for students. It would give them so many experiences they couldn’t otherwise get. Once again, I’d like to say: Thank you.

Sincerely,

Wesley Kosaka

Testimony received from BFED Committee.