Mayor's office signals OED refocus; $300,000 proposed for a vendor summit to promote Maui's wedding industry

Committee members pressed the mayor's office for details about the Office of Economic Development's future direction, grantmaking and several line items in the proposed FY26 budget.

Cynthia Lalo and chief of staff Priya Landgraf said the mayor wants OED to shift from a largely grant-making posture to an economic-development strategy focused on several “big-lever" industry areas. The administration said it plans to hire a lead for OED to implement that vision and expects to have that person in place before the end of the fiscal year.

The mayor's office requested $300,000 to host a vendor summit intended to showcase Maui's wedding industry and associated vendors. Lalo described the summit as a way to bring vendors to Maui, show the island's capacity as a world-class wedding destination and better connect local vendors to visitor and vendor markets. Committee members asked whether vendors would be compensated and whether the funding would be distributed via MEDB or through another mechanism; the administration said the venue and final plan had not been selected and that MEDB was expected to act as fiscal sponsor for certain film and promotion activities.

Members also pressed the administration on the film office and film commissioner arrangement. The mayor's office acknowledged the previous film program had been county-run and that a film commissioner and some promotional work now operate under outside sponsorship with MEDB and other partners; the administration said it was reviewing whether that structure remains the best fit and would provide written follow-ups on the allocation and fiscal-sponsorship model.

Several council members raised concerns about the placement of certain grant programs, including feral animal control grants currently in OED. Lalo said animal management grants had been moved to the Department of Agriculture and that feral animal control grants remained with OED for another year to allow the receiving department time to absorb responsibilities. Council members requested that the feral-animal program's scope be broadened to consider bird- and rodent-mitigation measures; the administration said that could be discussed.

Committee members asked for written details showing which grant funds moved or remained and the structure for film-promotion, vendor summit funding, and whether local producers would be eligible for film promotion funds. The administration agreed to provide those clarifications in writing.

No formal action or vote was taken during the presentation; councilmembers were asked to submit follow-up questions in writing and staff to circulate departmental responses.