Billy Swain, recently ousted as a Kaua’i County Council member, is almost back on the county’s payroll. Swain has been working for the county without a contract at the Legislature on Oahu for an unspecified amount of time this year,
Billy Swain, recently ousted as a Kaua’i County Council member, is almost back on the county’s payroll.
Swain has been working for the county without a contract at the Legislature on Oahu for an unspecified amount of time this year, according to Wally Rezentes Sr., assistant to Mayor Maryanne Kusaka.
Councilman Gary Hooser was questioning Rezentes at a legislative workshop Thursday in Lihu’e when the issue of how long ago Swain was hired came up.
“This is the first time I’ve heard from the administration that we have a lobbyist,” Hooser said. “It’s nice to be kept informed. We’ve hired a lobbyist we don’t have a contract for. When did he start?”
“I really don’t know,” Rezentes replied. “Our county attorney’s office has been drowned with work. We apologize for that.” He added that the hiring will “be done legally.”
“It’s going to be done legally,” Hooser said, voice rising with irony. “This is about hiring a lobbyist without a contract. It’s not about Billy (Swain). Is he (Swain) licensed?”
“It’s registered, not licensed,” Rezentes said.
“Is he registered?” Hooser continued.
“I don’t know,” Rezentes admitted.
“When did he start?” Hooser prodded.
“I don’t know the exact date,” Rezentes answered.
“Is he the administration’s lobbyist or the county’s lobbyist?” Hooser continued.
“He’s (there) on behalf of the county and the administration,” Rezentes responded.
Rezentes said Swain is being hired as a contract worker at $50 per hour. He said a 200-hour contract would cost the county $10,000.
“I guess you’re clear that what you’ve done is legal,” Councilman Kaipo Asing said. “I am concerned about this. I’d like to be sure we’re doing it correctly.”
“I am confident that if a sole-source contract (to hire Swain) is used, it is because it has been determined he could provide a service others could not,” county attorney Hartwell Blake said.
Swain served one term in the Legislature (1994-96) and one term on the County Council (1998-2000). He lost a re-election bid for the latter last November.
Public comment was against hiring Swain, or at least hiring him without notifying or discussing it with the council first.
“I’m not saying anything derogatory about Billy, but I think it’s wrong,” Glen Mickens of Kapa’a said.
Ray Chuan, a North Shore-area resident, expressed his approval that the council had opened the lobbyist discussion to the public.
“It’s always good to show your dirty linen,” Chuan said, citing “the shoddy way” the county does business and “the accumulation of shoddy practices. We don’t know this, we don’t know that.”
Kusaka’s administration promised to give the council an update when Swain was officially on board, which, according to Rezentes, would be in the next week.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
