Mayor, county officials to get up to 10 percent salary increase

LIHU’E — The Kaua’i Salary Commission yesterday unanimously approved a ten

percent salary increase for Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, County and Prosecutor

Michael Soong.

During a meeting yesterday, the county commission also

proposed a salary hike ranging from 0 to 10 percent for some 30 top appointees

of Kusaka.

The Council could reject the recommendation, either increasing

or decreasing the percentage increases for the mayor and her appointees. A

public hearing is anticipated to be scheduled for any proposal put forth by the

Council.

Under the proposal, the mayor’s salary would increase from $73,

118 to $80, 200, and Soong’s salary would increase from $69,371 to

$77,400.

For the positions of administrative assistant, county engineer,

director of finance, county attorney, fire chief, director of economic

development and director of community assistance, the mayor shall establish the

starting salaries and any increases, according to an proposed ordinance that is

to be sent to the Council for consideration.

Wallace Rezentes, Sr., the

administrative assistant, for instance, currently makes $70,193 a year, but

the proposal recommends a range from $68,200 to $78,200.

For the

positions of police chief, deputy chief of police, planning director, deputy

planning director, director of personnel, water department manager, water

department deputy manager and director of liquor control , the mayor will set

starting salaries and increase salaries only after receiving recommendations

from various county commissions.

The police chief currently makes $66,073

yearly, but the proposal calls for a range from $69,400 to $77,400.

In

addition, for the deputy county engineer, deputy finance director and all

deputy county attorneys and deputy prosecuting attorneys, the mayor should

establish starting salaries and increase salaries based on recommendations, in

general, from county department heads.

The deputy county engineer currently

makes from $41,622 to $64,168, but the proposal calls for a range of $50,700 to

$70,600.

In general, education, experience and qualifications will

determine starting salaries and salary increases.

The salary increases were

based on comparison of salaries for Hawaii state government official and

individuals working in the private sector, according to Commission Vice Chair

Barry Hubbard.

Raises also were proposed because the mayor and her

appointees have not had a pay raise since 1995, while county civil service

employees have had raises since that time, Hubbard said.

The commission

recommended the salary increases be retro-active to July 1 of this

year.

County officials have said $125,000 in collective bargaining funds

and funds for raises from the County Finance Department budget are available

to cover the raises.

Initially, Kusaka had proposed about a 14 percent

increase.

Administrative Assistant Wallace Rezentes Sr. thanked the

commission for its hard work. The commission has been mulling over the issue of

salary increases since October of last year.

“They have made a decision

based on months of research and discussion and it makes good sense,” Rezentes

Sr. said.

Residents have spoken out against the proposal, saying the county

has been strapped for money for years and that the proposed increase was

untimely.

County officials, however, have said the economy has rebounded

significantly since Hurricane Iniki and that there exists sufficient funding

for the raises.

Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext.

225) or lchang@pulitzer.net