Controversial Vacation Rental Bill Splits Maui Council Vacancy Candidates
Following nearly three hours of divided testimony from dozens of residents, the Maui County Council on Thursday began questioning the three nominees they are considering to fill the vacant seat left by the late Kahului council member Tasha Kama.
Kelson Kauanoe Batangan, Carol Lee Kamekona and Virgilio “Leo” Agcolicol expressed starkly different views on controversial policy debates and how they planned to approach their potential role on the council if appointed, highlighting the high stakes surrounding the question of who will finish the remaining year left on Kama’s term.
Because the eight current council members are evenly split on major policy issues, Kama’s successor will likely determine the fate of hotly contested legislation such as Bill 9, Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed plan to phase out thousands of vacation rentals in an effort to create more long-term housing for residents.
In July, council members voted 6-3 in favor of advancing Bill 9 out of the Housing and Land Use Committee, which Kama had chaired. Some of the legislation’s most contentious details have yet to be finalized, and some council members only agreed to advance the bill if the possible economic and social repercussions continued to be investigated.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/11/controversial-vacation-rental-bill-splits-maui-council-vacancy-candidates/