Aunty Carol Lee Kamekona
Maui County District - Kahului
Candidate Questionnaire Status: RESPONDED
Carol Lee Kamekona completed the HAA Election Center 2026 Candidate Survey for Maui County Council and expressed strong support for humane treatment, expanded spay/neuter access, managed community cat programs, One Health, public accountability, and a major role for community organizations and community input.
Voter Education Notice: HAA’s Election Center, Candidate Summary, candidate snapshots, and candidate pages are provided for issue-based voter education. They are based on candidate survey responses, follow-up clarification when provided, and HAA’s assessment of alignment with humane, accountable managed cat policy. They are not formal single-candidate endorsements and should not be represented as such.
1. HAA Candidate Snapshot
2. HAA Assessment
Managed Cat Policy Alignment: Fully Aligned
Carol Lee Kamekona’s survey response demonstrates strong support for humane, accountable, and managed community cat policy.
She rated humane treatment and the One Health perspective as Extremely Important, strongly supports expanded access to low-cost or free spay/neuter services, indicated that managed community cat programs should play a Major Role, strongly agrees that government-funded programs should demonstrate measurable outcomes and public accountability, and believes community organizations and volunteers should play a Major Role in helping address county challenges.
While Kamekona identified herself as Somewhat Familiar with Trap-Neuter-Return and other humane community cat management programs, her broader responses indicate clear support for humane, structured, and community-based approaches to cat population management.
Humane Animal Management
Kamekona’s survey reflects strong support for humane treatment as a core value in county animal policy.
She selected:
- Extremely Important for humane treatment
- Generally favor prevention while supporting targeted enforcement
- Strongly Support for expanded access to low-cost or free spay/neuter services
These answers support an approach that focuses first on prevention, population reduction, and humane solutions, while recognizing that enforcement may still have an appropriate role in specific situations.
This aligns well with HAA’s emphasis on reducing unmanaged cat populations through humane, science-based management rather than relying primarily on punitive or reactive approaches.
Managed Community Cat Programs
Kamekona selected Major Role for managed community cat programs in county policy.
In her written comment, she stated:
“Even though I reside in Maui County, I believe all communities should take an active role in managed community cat programs.”
This comment reflects a clear belief that community cat management is not a fringe or minor issue, but an important responsibility that communities should actively support.
Although she selected Somewhat Familiar for TNR familiarity, her survey still shows strong policy support for humane community cat management and willingness to recognize its importance in local government and community life.
Leadership and Decision-Making
Kamekona’s leadership responses suggest a practical, evidence-aware, and environmentally conscious decision-making style.
She selected the following as important when evaluating complex public policy issues:
- Scientific evidence and research
- Fiscal responsibility and cost effectiveness
- Environmental impacts
When evaluating different viewpoints, she selected:
- Meet with affected residents
- Review scientific research
- Visit affected locations firsthand
She also selected the following qualities as contributing to effective public policy:
- Fiscal responsibility
- Enforcement
- Environmental stewardship
And when facing difficult issues, she selected:
- Focus on immediate concerns
- Focus on long-term outcomes
- Prioritize practical implementation
Taken together, these responses suggest a candidate who wants policy to be both grounded in evidence and workable in practice, while also considering environmental responsibility and direct community conditions.
One Health
Kamekona rated the connection between human health, animal health, and environmental health as Extremely Important.
Her written comment states:
“The interconnectivity of human, animal and environmental health contributes to a well balanced ecological system.”
This is strongly aligned with HAA’s One Health perspective, which recognizes that animal policy affects not just animals, but also public health, environmental quality, wildlife stewardship, and overall community well-being.
Accountability and Community Partnership
Kamekona Strongly Agrees that government-funded programs should demonstrate measurable outcomes and public accountability.
She wrote:
“Measurable outcomes determines the successfulness and viability of a program while ensuring public & county accountability.”
This closely aligns with HAA’s emphasis on measurable outcomes, transparent evaluation, and accountability in public programs.
She also selected Major Role for community organizations and volunteers and wrote:
“Community input provides for a wide experienced lens, which may not always be seen from a bureaucratic standpoint. Thus why the collective voice must be included.”
This is an especially strong statement in support of community partnership and reflects an understanding that effective policy should include real-world community experience rather than rely only on top-down institutional decision-making.
HAA Takeaway
Carol Lee Kamekona supports humane treatment, expanded spay/neuter access, managed community cat programs, One Health, public accountability, and strong community involvement in solving county challenges.
Her responses suggest a practical and environmentally aware approach that values both evidence and community input. While she identifies herself as only somewhat familiar with TNR, her policy selections clearly support a humane, prevention-based, and managed approach to community cat issues.
Overall assessment: Fully Aligned with Managed Cat Policy.