Multiple community members and organizers told the County Budget Committee in Lahaina that parks, playgrounds and community centers are essential to recovery and requested the committee protect and increase related budget items.

Jordan Ruidus, an organizer with Lahaina Strong, urged funding for shaded playgrounds at Lahaina Park and Kilauea Mauka Park, calling shaded play areas a necessity for children, particularly while many families remain displaced. He also supported higher taxes on vacant properties to direct revenue back to community services.

Mikey Burke and other speakers asked the committee to protect existing parks and recreation funding and increase capacity for kupuna and keiki services, noting missing infrastructure such as functioning showers, shade, seating and trash receptacles in local parks.

Speakers also referenced a proposed Lahaina resiliency hub and asked that funding be made available to support community recovery and emergency preparation; one speaker noted a late FY‑year request for watershed work and urged the committee to consider it.

No formal budget votes occurred; speakers asked the committee to prioritize parks, community center repairs and resiliency programming in the coming budget deliberations.