Joseph G. Blackburn

Full Name: Joseph G. Blackburn II

Name on Ballot: Joseph G. Blackburn

Age: 63

District: Wailuku, Waihee and Waikapu

Email Address: info@blackburn4council.com

Current Job: President, Maui Land Broker and Property Management Inc.

Place of birth: Honolulu

Campaign website: blackburn4council.com

Job history past 10 years:

2008 to Present: Partial owner and president, Maui Land Broker and Property Management, Inc.

2002 to 2008: Safety director, Maui Electric

2002: Retired from Maui Fire Department as a fire rescue captain. (Twenty-seven years in the County of Maui, worked as a recreation assistant, police officer and firefighter.)

Ever run for public office? If so, when? Outcome?

2012: Wailuku, Waihee and Waikapu Maui Council Seat — lost

2014: Wailuku, Waihee and Waikapu Maui Council Seat — lost

Other civic experience or community service?

Wailuku Rotary Club member, Maui Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC Coordinator 2015/2016), Wailuku Wolfpack Menehune basketball coach, sport ministry at Kings Cathedral, Blackburn’s Blessings Feed the Homeless. Help manage over eight homeowner community associations.

Anything else you’d like voters to know about you?

I actually decided to run for office in 2011. My reasons remain basically the same. We are pricing and pushing our local families out of Maui County. While the economy is better in 2016, housing and rentals are worse. I want to serve the silent majority, our working class.

What makes you qualified to be a Council member?

Thirty-one years in public safety working as a fire rescue captain, police officer and safety director. I understand how our public services impact the community. Now, as a small business owner, I realize the influence of government on small business. Master’s degree in higher education, bachelor’s degree in business and fire administration.

What are your top five priorities for the county?

Affordability for our working class. We are being pushed out of Maui. The high cost of housing and rentals. Housing issues affecting the homeless. Impact of special interests and government regulations on making a living on Maui. Invasive species.

What is your one big idea?

A County of Maui fast-track affordable homes process that limits the amount of changes that can be made. Put a time frame on the review process. Every change to an affordable project pushes up the cost of homes. Allow residential fire sprinklers in lieu of costly water line improvements.

What do you think about the proposal to go from a mayor/council form of government to a manager/council form?

I would like to see qualifications for all department heads including at least a bachelor’s degree with related work experience. Let the mayor and Council select five names from a list of qualified names like we do for civil service positions. Provide education incentives for county employees.

What can the Council do to deal with the economic impact from the end of sugar on Maui?

The economic impact will be felt when our 80 percent tourism economy hits a rough time. The community has been great helping HC&S workers find jobs with job fairs etc. Need to help businesses that served HC&S. We need to support all type of agriculture.

Affordable housing is in short supply on Maui. How would you suggest increasing the inventory of affordable housing?

Repeal laws which have impacted progress. Would like to make it easier to provide affordable housing through solutions such as giving builders incentives to build, with an process like the state 201H program. Permit self-contained residential fire sprinklers (NFPA 13) instead of costly water line improvements. Allow incremental housing.