LIHU‘E — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. has asked the county Salary Commission to defer pay raises for himself and county department heads scheduled to take effect Dec. 1. In a letter to Virginia “Gini” Kapali, commission chair, Carvalho asks for
LIHU‘E — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. has asked the county Salary Commission to defer pay raises for himself and county department heads scheduled to take effect Dec. 1.
In a letter to Virginia “Gini” Kapali, commission chair, Carvalho asks for an amendment to a resolution passed by the commission establishing salaries for Carvalho and county department heads, to defer the scheduled 7 percent raises until Dec. 1, 2011.
“While I truly appreciate your diligent efforts in formulating a thoughtful and justified salary plan, the current economic conditions could not have been anticipated when these mid-term increases were approved,” Carvalho wrote to Kapali.
“Over these past few months, I have repeatedly been engaged in conversations about the financial hardships and concerns facing our local businesses and residents.
“I know that they do not have a guarantee of an increase in revenues or certainty of a pay raise,” he wrote. “Likewise, we at the county must make adjustments in this time of economic hardship and lead not only through words, but by example.
“For this reason I committed to the people of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, that upon taking office, we would be requesting a freeze on the proposed future raise for the mayor and department heads until such time that economic conditions improve and the county’s financial forecast indicates signs of continued recovery and growth,” Carvalho wrote.
“It does start at the top,” Carvalho said when discussing the proposed raise deferral before the Kaua‘i Police Commission Friday at the Historic County Building.
Beth Tokioka, the mayor’s executive assistant, discussed the potential process for the Salary Commission to amend the salary resolution the commission approved at its April 28 meeting.
“The easiest way would be for the Salary Commission to revise the resolution to reflect the mayor’s request, and we hope they will choose to do that,” she said in an e-mail.
The matter is expected to be on the agenda of the Salary Commission’s meeting July 14, said Mercedes Youn of the county Boards and Commissions Office.
In a letter transmitting the salary resolution to the County Council for its consideration, Kapali said the County Charter provides for the commission salary resolution to become effective without concurrence of the mayor and council if not rejected by a super majority of five members of the council within 60 days of its adoption.
That meant the resolution took effect the last weekend of June, as it had not made the council agenda before that.
Kapali in her letter to Council Chair Kaipo Asing requested the council introduce a bill repealing salary ordinances of the affected county employees within 30 days of the effective date of the resolution, which would mean by around July 27.
Carvalho now makes $114,490 a year, and the resolution would hike his annual salary to $122,504 on Dec. 1. Department heads make $107,335, scheduled to rise to $114,848 on Dec. 1. Deputy department heads now make $98,748, scheduled to move to $105,560 on Dec. 1.
The salary ordinance also would move the annual salaries of council members from the current $53,066 ($59,699 for the chair) to $56,781 ($63,879 for the chair) on Dec. 1.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com
