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Bill would give
ethics director more pay
than his subordinate

Applicants sought for ethics vacancy

By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

A bill moving through the Legislature would raise the pay of the state Ethics Commission's executive director and set up a formula that would keep his salary higher than his second-in-command's, which is not the case now.

For about a year now, Executive Director Daniel Mollway's annual salary of $77,966 has been less than the amount paid to his underling, associate director Susan Yoza, who makes $79,560 a year.

"The State Ethics Commission finds it to be inappropriate for a subordinate staff member to be paid more than the director of the office," commission Chairwoman Leolani Abdul said in testimony submitted to a House committee.

A Senate bill approved without changes yesterday by the House Legislative Management Committee would set the executive director's salary at up to 5 percent above the associate director's pay. If the measure becomes law, Mollway's pay would then become $84,000 a year.

The pay of the executive director, who runs the commission office, is set by statute and is capped at the maximum salary paid to department deputy directors or $77,966.

The salaries of other commission employees, however, are tied to collective-bargaining wage increases. So, commission staffers get a pay raise each time a raise is given to a comparable collective-bargaining position.

This situation is faced by state and county officials across the islands, Mollway said.

"So what happens is that sometimes people whose salaries are set by statute ... their salaries stay frozen whereas the other people's salaries, because of the union collective-bargaining agreements, keep going up and up and up," Mollway said after the hearing. "I'm hardly alone in this. I'm sure there are many other people whose subordinates exceed their salary."

The original bill sought to have the executive director's salary set at the same amount of pay for a department head, which is $85,302. "The executive director has the responsibilities of the head of an office," Abdul said in testimony submitted to the committee. "It is the head of the office who makes, and is accountable for, difficult decisions."

The Senate Ways and Means Committee amended the bill to tie the executive director's salary to increases in the salary of the associate director. That would make the executive director's salary close to the current salary of a department head.

Applicants sought for ethics vacancy Star-Bulletin staff The Judicial Council is accepting applications to fill an anticipated vacancy June 30 on the Hawaii State Ethics Commission. Eloise Lee's term expires June 30. However, she is eligible for reappointment and would like to retain her position. Nominees must be U.S. citizens, residents of Hawaii, and may not hold any other public office. The state constitution prohibits commission members from taking an active part in political management or campaigns. The Ethics Commission regulates the ethics of all legislators, registered lobbyists and state employees, except for judges, who are governed by the Commission on Judicial Conduct. Interested persons should submit an application, resume and three letters of recommendation by April 18 to the Judicial Council, Hawaii Supreme Court, 417 S. King St., Second Floor, Honolulu 96813-2902, Attention: C. Takara. Applications are available from the Judiciary Web site, at http://www.state.hi.us/jud/, or Room 206-C, Aliiolani Hale, 417 S. King St., Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

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