2025-12-22 Salary Commission Minutes

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RCVn h AN RESOURCES 2025 DEC 22 H o.i Dell Otsuka Keaukaha, Hawai'i 96720-4833 December 20, 2025 Steven Pavao, Chair Hawai'i County Salary Commission 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 2 Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 Supplemental Testimony to the Hawai'i County Salary Commission, Agenda Item 6. Communication No. 25-05.01: Proposed Findings Of Fact by The 2025 County of Hawai'i Salary Commission, Dated August 28, 2025 Subjects: - Proposed Salary Adjustments for Covered Positions - Clarification of Findings of Facts Good Morning Chair and Members of the Commission, Thank you for your service and for the opportunity to submit written testimony. I have carefully reviewed the proposed Findings of Fact and offer the following comments in the interest of clarity, transparency, and the Commission's responsibilities under the Hawai'i County Charter. The later Findings (7, 8, 9, and 13) are expressly classified not as factual determinations, but as conclusions, assumptions, statements of intent, or generalized justifications particularly those addressing recruitment and retention, salary inversion, public concern, and private-sector comparison. While these considerations may inform policy decisions, they are distinct from verifiable findings of fact grounded in specific data or evidence in the record. I respectfully ask the Commission to consider whether these sections would be more appropriately framed as rationale or discussion, so that the Findings of Fact themselves remain clearly tied to demonstrable evidence and fully transparent to the public.