LIHU‘E — Deputy County Clerk Ernie Pasion will become the first full-time auditor of the Kaua‘i County government after 5th Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe swore him into office Wednesday at the Historic County Building. Pasion, a Kalaheo resident and county
LIHU‘E — Deputy County Clerk Ernie Pasion will become the first full-time auditor of the Kaua‘i County government after 5th Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe swore him into office Wednesday at the Historic County Building.
Pasion, a Kalaheo resident and county employee for more than a dozen years, was unanimously selected by the County Council last week, according to a written announcement provided Wednesday.
Councilman Tim Bynum later in the meeting described the event as a “landmark day” in Kaua‘i history, and other council members said they hope the new position can usher in a new era of accountability and transparency.
The Office of the County Auditor was established via charter amendment last year, earning 15,921 “yes” votes to 5,210 opposed.
The office exists within the legislative branch to conduct performance and financial audits of funds, programs and operations of any agency, department or operation of the county. Like the Office of the County Clerk, it will answer to the council as opposed to the mayor.
“The mission of the county auditor is to enhance accountability, fiscal integrity and transparency in county government,” the announcement said.
“The county auditor will examine the use of scarce public funds, evaluate programs and activities, and provide timely, accurate and objective analyses, options and recommendations to decision makers in order to ensure that the county’s scarce resources are being used effectively and efficiently meets the needs of the public.”
Pasion has served as the deputy county clerk for the past 12 years, and that familiarity with the county government could serve as a help and a hindrance, community members said at the special meeting.
“I have known Ernie as a hard-working, intelligent, always-available person who has done his job for the county for many years,” Kapa‘a resident Glenn Mickens said in his written testimony.
“However, in my opinion, this auditor’s position should have a person of extremely neutral characteristics with no ties to our government. In many municipalities, the auditor is either an elected position or served by an outside contractor,” he wrote.
“With all due respect to my friend Ernie, who I have no questions about his honesty or integrity, there would still remain the appearance of impropriety in any decision making whether or not an infraction took place,” Mickens wrote.
Before Pasion joined the county government, he worked in Chicago for 23 years for a multi-national company with marketing operations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and a joint venture in South Korea, the announcement said. Pasion spent the last 16 years there as the company’s chief financial officer.
He has an undergraduate degree in banking and finance and a master’s in business administration from Roosevelt University in Chicago.
County Clerk Peter Nakamura said in a brief interview following the regular council meeting that he expected Pasion would begin his new role as county auditor immediately after being sworn in, and that the position of deputy county clerk is now vacant.
Committees defer
4 bills, kill 1
The council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday deferred until October work on four bills.
Legislation that would have amended existing ordinances related to shoreline setbacks and coastal protection and single-family transient vacation rentals on agriculturally zoned land were deferred until Oct. 14.
Bills covering the permitting of small wind energy conversion systems and additional densities for farm worker housing were deferred until Oct. 28
Also, proposed draft Bill No. 2292, which would have amended the rules pertaining to real property tax appeals, was received — in other words, killed — by the Budget and Finance Committee.
Council Vice Chair Jay Furfaro said the massive re-evaluation of land values, ongoing analysis of the kuleana land bill and exemptions for affordable rental rates are considerations that will be weighed as the council considers bringing back a new draft bill in the future.
See future editions of The Garden Island for further coverage of the four proposed bills still before the Planning Committee.
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
