Workforce & Positions
FY27 proposes 91.8 new county positions — while simultaneously reportingsignificant vacancy rates across departments (90+ positions reported vacant per council hearing comments). In public safety, overtime costs are surging even as headcount grows slowly, raising questions about structural understaffing.
Total County FTEs
3,362.2
+91.8 positions (+2.8%) vs FY26
New Positions Proposed
+91.8
While 90+ existing positions sit vacant
Fire Overtime Surge
+53.3%
Premium pay increase FY26→FY27 ($7.7M → $11.8M)
Police Overtime
+21.1%
Premium pay increase FY26→FY27 ($7.2M → $8.7M)
The 90-for-90 Paradox
The administration is proposing 90+ brand-new positions in FY27 while more than 90 currently authorized positions remain unfilled. The Maui County Council raised this directly in budget hearings — if the county can't fill the jobs it already has, what is the rationale for expanding the authorized roster further?
The BFED committee trimmed $8.44M from the Mayor's proposal (−0.52%), but did not eliminate the expansion positions. Source: BFED committee deliberations, not in Mayor's Proposed Budget documents.
Position Changes by Department
FY26 → FY27 Proposed
Note: figures use a mix of General Fund only (Housing, Human Concerns, Public Works) and all-funds totals (all other departments) reflecting the scope reported in each department's source document. Numbers within each scope are verified correct.
Largest % growth in county — Hawaiian cultural affairs
Lahaina fire aftermath driving expansion
Includes new county administration positions
Field operations & compliance additions
Despite budget growing 11.6% — spending shift to overtime
All-funds scope (FY26 baseline corrected from 266 — that figure not found in source documents)
Maui Police Department
FY27 Budget: $117.6M (++11.6% vs FY26)
Officers per 1,000 Residents
1.91
Maui
2.8
FBI National Avg
(2019 Crime in the U.S.)
Maui is 32% below the national staffing benchmark — adding only 5 positions in FY27.
Overtime & Premium Pay
++21.1% in one year (+$1.5M)
Driven partly by wildfire response; FEMA reimbursement requested
Bureau Restructuring FY27
| Bureau | FY26 | FY27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uniformed Services | 305.3 | 310.3 | +5 |
| Investigative Services | 112 | 119 | +7 |
| Organizational Development Brand-new bureau created FY27 | 0 | 40 | +40 |
| Technical & Support Services Major restructuring — positions moved to other bureaus | 135 | 92 | -43 |
| Administration | 32 | 28 | -4 |
Fire & Public Safety
FY27 Budget: $77.0M (++1.5% vs FY26)
53% surge in overtime/premium pay — the biggest one-year jump in the budget
Base wages
-6.8%
$43.9M → $40.9M
Overtime & Premium
+53.3%
$7.7M → $11.8M
Overtime share of payroll
22%
of total fire payroll
Base wages fell 6.8% while overtime rose 53% — a pattern suggesting the department is covering vacancies and extraordinary demand (wildfire, ocean rescues) through overtime rather than new hires.
Note: A portion of the FY26→FY27 shift from base wages to premium pay reflects reclassification of Holiday Pay between budget line items, per 050-08 continuation budget notes. Structural understaffing remains a secondary driver.
Fire/Rescue Operations
325
positions
Ocean Safety
102
positions (+2.5 new)
Fire Prevention
23
positions
Training
17
positions
Administration
25
positions