Maui County has allocated over $20 million in CARES Act funds to pay for economic recovery initiatives ranging from farm and ranch grants to support the county’s food system, to buying computers for students who are attending school online.

Mayor Michael Victorino today said the money will be spent on items recommended by the MauiCARES Task Force, which is made up of 30 industry leaders who identified areas of need and economic recovery opportunities.

“I want to extend a deep mahalo to all our industry leaders for volunteering their time and effort to make these recommendations for the betterment of our community,” Mayor Victorino said in a statement. “There remains a great financial need for our residents and businesses, and we believe these funds will be key in helping them get through this pandemic.”

The task force also issued recommendations in the following areas of need: tourism and commerce; food and farm; health care; culture, arts and education; housing and construction; and the environment.