2020 Election: Rick Nava

Name on ballot:

Rick Nava

Running for:

Maui county council – West Maui

Political party:

None

Campaign website:

votericknava.com

Current occupation:

Small Business Owner

Age:

61

Previous job history:

US Military and Controller for a Small Business

Previous elected office, if any:

N/A

Please describe your qualifications to represent the voters of your county.

A proven Business and Community Leader

What will be your top priority if elected?

I will focus on small businesses and to get the people of Maui County working agai n

As Hawaii faces the COVID-19 pandemic, what more should county government do to protect residents’ health?

I believe we are doing all that we can to protect the people of the Maui County. As a leader of the County, we need to continue to educate the people and be vigilant.

What should county government do to help residents who have been economically affected by the pandemic?

The County of Maui has been providing small business Micro Business Loan, up to $25,000. I believe this is one way to help small businesses that will also help the residents of Maui.

Should public worker furloughs, pay cuts or downsizing be used to help the county deal with lower tax revenues and higher expenses during the pandemic? Why or why not?

Public worker furloughs, pay cuts and downsizing should definitely be looked into closely. The State and the County can’t continue to look at the people to pay additional taxes to make up for the shortfall. As a small business owner, when revenues do not meet budget, I look into trimming my expenses to make up for the shortfall or at least to balance the budget.

What specific solutions do you propose to combat homelessness?

I would like to see the County work closely with home builders. Further, I want to see the County Maui, have a Department of Housing that focus strictly on providing homes for local families. Further, we also have a lot of homeless people who are fighting drug addiction, alcoholism and have mental health problems. The County must provide assistance for these people and help them to become

Do you support reforms to policing in Hawaii? If yes, please explain what reforms you support.

I believe that our police force here on Maui, are very good officers and I do not believe that we need to do any major reform. like what is happening in major cities throughout the USA. I served 20+ years in the military with Chief Faaumu. I know him as a very good man and a true leader. The actions of our Police Officers start with Chief Faaumu, and I feel very confident of his leadership ability to lead our police force here on Maui. Further, I also served in the Police Commission from 1995 – 2000. Though this was two years ago, my time in the Police Commission taught me the inner working of the Maui Police Department and how close they are to our community. One thing that we have that no other state has is the ALOHA SPIRIT. I truly believe that the aloha spirit is what helps our MPD who they are.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I believe that my business acumen as well as my leadership ability will be a big plus in the Council Chamber. I consider myself an outside the box thinker and as a successful business owner for over two decades and as someone who spent over 20 years in the military. I know what it takes to get job things done and I recognize that it will take teamwork and cooperation if we want to build a better Maui County.