County of Maui Board of Ethics sees major advancements in first 100 days

Executive Director and Legal Counsel Lauren Akitake leads new office

County of Maui Board of Ethics ExecutiveDirector and Legal Counsel Lauren Akitake presented her "First 100 Days: Voices & Views" report, highlighting significant progress in building the County's first Office of the Board of Ethics. The report details major accomplishments during the office's formative months and outlines goals for 2026 and the coming years.

At the Board's December meeting, Vice Chair Michael Lilly praised the change that has occurred in a short period.

"Anyone who was here in June and July and looks at where we are today realizes we have already undergone a transformation," Lilly said. "This leap forward, just in four months, is enormous. Under the capable leadership of our Executive Director and Legal Counsel Lauren Akitake and her staff, we're poised to fulfill all of our noblest dreams about the effectiveness of this Board of Ethics."

Lilly highlighted the office's strengthened capacity in oversight, training, enforcement and public confidence. "We want the public to have confidence that we're here to faithfully, on their behalf, provide oversight of ethics rules so they can trust that Maui's public employees are doing a good job," he said.

Lilly emphasized how rule changes made this year-combined with Akitake's leadership-have transformed how quickly County of Maui employees can receive ethics advice. "We changed the rules that allowed for informal opinions by legal counsel," he said. "Before that, someone would have to file a formal request and wait two or three months for an answer. Now, they call Director Akitake and get an immediate response."

In just four months, Akitake issued 52 informal advisory opinions, compared with one the month before, reflecting both increased need and increased trust from County personnel.

The "Voices & Views" report describes extensive work to establish the office: hiring staff, creating secure systems, coordinating department outreach, and collaborating with the Hawai'i State Ethics Commission and Honolulu Ethics Commission to implement decades of tested best practices.

Board Secretary Scott Parker commended Akitake for the depth and transparency of her work.

"I know it's not been an easy lift-it's been significantly uphill," Parker said. "Her updates give insight into all of the work being done and save us, as a board, time to process significant items that otherwise would have been on our table."

Akitake also emphasized the importance of educating and guiding the public. "I receive calls from community members-some emotional, some frustrated and some simply confused about our role," she said. "Often my job is to educate, clarify expectations and direct matters outside of our jurisdiction. I commonly explain that complaints must meet foundational requirements such as: being timely filed within the one-year statute of limitations; not being litigated in a criminal or civil action; being within the board's jurisdiction; not identical to allegations previously decided by the Board; not speculative, hypothetical, or frivolous; naming a County employee; and alleging a violation of the ethics code. We also do not intervene in decisions made by County departments."

As part of the office's strategic plan, the board highlighted a commitment to continued public engagement. Lilly encouraged board members and the public to actively contribute ideas as the plan continues to evolve.

The report outlines key goals for 2026, including:

Long-term goals (18 months to 5 years) include recurring ethics training, evaluation of office effectiveness and continued progress on major policy initiatives.

"Our approach will be fair but firm," Akitake said. "Principled, consistent decision-making is essential to strengthening public trust in County government. I'm grateful for the Board's support as we build an office that will serve our community for decades."

About the County of Maui Board of Ethics

The Board of Ethics administers and enforces the Maui County Code of Ethics, issues advisory opinions, reviews financial disclosures statements and lobbyist registrations and terminations, investigates and prosecutes complaints against County employees and boards and commissions members, and promotes integrity and the highest ethical standards across County government.

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