From Maui News by ILIMA LOOMIS

The West Maui Charter Working Group recommended that the county adopt a district voting model, where only the voters of each district would select their council member.

“Single-member districts would allow lower electioneering costs, better accountability of council members to voters, and permits every area of the county to have a population-proportionate influence in the election of the council,” the group wrote.

Because the law requires districts to be drawn according to population, with an equal number of people in each district, smaller communities like Lanai, Molokai and Hana would have to be combined with other areas under district voting.

That was a concern for members of the Lanai Planning Commission, which voted unanimously last month to recommend maintaining the status quo.

“Any changes to the election system could result in Lanai being grouped with another geographic area and the loss of Lanai’s dedicated representative,” wrote Chairman Gerald Rabaino.

Dave DeLeon has submitted his own proposal, which seeks to address both concerns.

Under his proposal, the county would establish single-member council districts, while also creating locally elected “island boards” for Molokai and Lanai. The boards would take over the responsibilities of the island planning commissions, as well as zoning and land-use variance approvals; they would also act as the “official voice” of their communities at county, state and national levels, he said in his proposal.

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