2012-03-05 Salary Commission Minutes

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Ms. Lugo advised that if the Commission wants input on the workload and administrative duties, it would be most appropriate to request the information from Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida and have him respond officially. Ms. Iboshi asked whether the Commission would like her to say a few words on how the structure is set up, to which Chair Handgis responded in the affirmative. Ms. Iboshi stated the following: It is true, she is the chief criminal lawyer for the whole island, which has approximately 185,000 people; and Lincoln Ashida is the chief civil attorney for the island. Each county is a little different, but basically, the Prosecutor's Office is much bigger. Except for Maui, prosecutors are all elected. The Corporation Counsel and the Prosecutor are both appointed in Maui. With every other county, the elected Prosecutor gets more pay. The Corporation Counsel's office is smaller and is run differently. Their work is very complex, and experienced deputies are needed in those positions. Mr. De Lima is correct in that the quality of their work and responsibilities should be recognized. In the Prosecutor's Office, they have nearly a hundred employees with 31 attorneys including herself and the first deputy, Dale Ross; and they have three offices on three places on the island. So administratively, how do you handle that big load? They handle over 22,000 criminal cases in a particular year, and their functions are very different from the Corporation Counsel's Office. Both are important. The question is what is valued more or less? Part of the issue, as Mr. De Lima had raised, is elected versus unelected. In Maui County, where the Prosecutor is appointed, there is a recognition of the difference in pay. Both the Prosecutor and Corporation Counsel on Maui are paid the same, no matter the size of the office. They're both appointed positions. To be the Prosecutor or the Corporation Counsel is a big responsibility. Not only do they need to have their lawyer's license, but they must have multiple skills and the experience to administrate an office. Regarding the differences between the two offices, the Prosecutor's Office has three offices and is bigger. They have different kinds of issues and are under a lot of pressure. The Corporation Counsel's Office deals with complex issues and requires different kinds of skill sets. Chair Handgis stated that he's trying to understand how much effort it takes to operate a hundred associates versus 27. M