PUHI — The county is considering more than $800,000 in raises for elected and appointed officials. Wednesday, the salary commission presented a resolution to the county council to establish maximum salaries for more than 30 county positions, including the mayor
PUHI — The county is considering more than $800,000 in raises for elected and appointed officials.
Wednesday, the salary commission presented a resolution to the county council to establish maximum salaries for more than 30 county positions, including the mayor and council.
Representatives from the police commission, the planning commission, and the civil service commission testified in favor of the resolution, as well as Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr.
“I ask for favorable consideration on this issue,” Carvalho said.
The reason the county is considering the increases is because of a pay inversion between employees covered under collective bargaining agreements and those appointed or elected.
In fiscal year 2014-2015, for instance, the police chief made $114,490. His deputy made $105,660. The detective lieutenant, assistant chief of police, police captain and the detective position all earned more than the management.
The highest paid person in the police department in that fiscal year was the detective lieutenant, who garnered $171,262.
For the fire department in that same fiscal year, a captain made the most with a salary of $156,178, followed by the battalion chief, and two fire captains. The fire chief made $114,490 and the deputy fire chief made $105,660.
“You need to correct the inversion that we have right now to retain the top talent at all levels,” said Mary Hertog, vice chairwoman of the police commission. “It’s a matter of fairness.”
According to Sheri Kunioka-Volz, vice chairwoman of the salary commission, in most cases the commission is recommending about an 11 percent increase, which breaks down to about a 1.6 percent increase every year for the past seven years.
Should the resolution pass as presented, the police chief’s salary would rise to $127,313 and the deputy chief of police salary would climb to $114,582. The fire chief and the deputy fire chief’s salaries would both be increased to those same amounts, respectively.
For the council, the chairperson’s salary would increase from $63,000 to $71,000 and council members currently earning $57,000 would see their pay go to $63,140.
The matter will be reviewed at committee level Wednesday in the Historic County Building. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m.
