Maui County officials WAILUKU >> Maui County Mayor James Apana and his executives will get pay raises ranging from 4 percent to 22 percent Jan. 1, while Hawaii County is just beginning to look at the issue, and Kauai does not plan to even consider raises.
to get raises of
up to 22 percent
The Big Isle is starting to work
on its pay scale; Oahu's raises
are already in effectBy Gary Kubota and Rod Thompson
gkubota@starbulletin.com
rthompson@starbulletin.comApana's annual salary will rise 7 percent to $96,000 from $89,712. Maui Managing Director Grant Chun's salary will increase 12 percent to $90,000 from $80,436.
No one testified against the increases when the Maui County Salary Commission met yesterday. All told, the raises for Maui County officials will cost $160,575 annually.
Commission Chairman Scott Matsuura said commissioners increased salaries across the board by 3 percent last year but raised them again because the last major increase was in 1994.
"The commission, everyone, thought it was fair and reasonable and probably a long time coming," said Matsuura, manager of government affairs for Alexander & Baldwin Inc.
The commission said it recommended no salary increases for Maui County Council members, partially because their positions are part time and they can engage in outside work. Under the County Charter, the commission's decision is final.
On the financially strapped Big Island, the Salary Commission was just getting to work and uncertain what direction to take at a meeting yesterday.
"What is a workable proposal?" asked commissioner Glenn Hara. "I don't have any idea of what the total figure is (of county budget restraints). In essence we're kind of shooting blind."
Managing Director Dixie Kaetsu said Hawaii County has whittled down a projected shortfall, but it is still $2 million short of what it needs to pay existing expenses, including salaries.
"This has not been an easy year. We do expect next (fiscal) year to be better than this year," she said.
Mayor Harry Kim receives $78,564 and Kaetsu receives $73,224. But the real problem is department heads and deputies. Many deputies earn about 23 percent less than some of the people they supervise, said commissioner Rodney Watanabe.
Civil Service director Michael Ben explained that civil service employees have received pay raises totaling at least 30 percent since 1990 while their bosses received only one raise of 5 percent, he said.
On Kauai there are no plans to convene the county's salary commission in the final year of Mayor Maryanne Kusaka's last term. The mayor's salary of $73,118, the County Council chairman's salary of $31,938 and Council members' salaries of $28,744 have been unchanged for seven years.
Even though the Kauai County Charter requires the Salary Commission to meet at least annually, there were four years in the 1990s when it did not meet. Mayoral assistant Wally Rezentes Sr. said it has become impossible to find enough people to fill the seats on the five-member commission.
Earlier this year, the Salary Commission recommended raises that were rejected by the County Council. Kusaka responded by quadrupling her own car allowance and renting a luxury car through the county. The council retaliated by stripping her of any discretionary budgeting authority.
On Oahu the Honolulu Salary Commission last spring gave Mayor Jeremy Harris and his lieutenants 2 percent raises that took effect when the 2002 fiscal year began on July 1.
Harris' salary went to $112,200 from $100,000. Managing Director Ben Lee makes $107,100, up from $105,000. City directors make $96,900, up from the $95,000 they made in fiscal 2001. Deputy directors make $91,800, up from $90,000.
The Honolulu commission meets again early next year.
Star-Bulletin reporters Anthony Sommer and Gordon Pang contributed to this report.
Maui County
