2013-08-28 Minutes Salary Commission

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• Budget presentation to the County Council, Thursday, April 11, 2013. II. COMPARABLE SALARIES In accordance with Section 13-28(d), Code, it states: The commission shall review and compensate all county elected officials and appointed directors and deputy directors so that their total salaries and benefits have a reasonable relationship to compensation in the public and private sectors. When the Commission met on March 5, 2012,the economic conditions and uncertainties created a communal sense that we must move cautiously, be patient and await additional information that could best support the final action of this Commission concerning salary increases. Former Chairperson George Handgis stated that"these were drastic times, calling for very bold measures by anybody that controls the taxpayers' purse strings."4 In regards to the Corporation Counsel, he inquired into the percentage of time the Corporation Counsel actually spends managing and administrating people as opposed to actually practicing the law; he further indicated that"his eyes go toward the number of employees, which is four times the number of employees managed for the Prosecuting Attorney, so he is inquiring into the administrative and human resource functions in those two jobs to determine whether they are similar or identical."5 Although the Commission had information that the Corporation Counsel's pay was significantly lower than salaries in other counties and also one of the lower salaries compared to other departments in the County,6 the Commission did not have all relevant information regarding the work of the Corporation Counsel and the economic outlook after 2012. A. Economic Outlook. The economy has improved since the "Great Recession"that began in 2007 and ending before 2013. In the early third of 2013, UPW and certain units of HGEA got negotiated pay increases of about 4% a year that were approved by the County Council. Soon thereafter, the County Council approved 4%pay raises for its support staff And at the second half of 2013, SHOPO (police)received an arbitrated award amounting to at least 16%pay increases over the next 4 years that have the support of the Mayors from Honolulu, Maui and this County. These negotiated pay increases and arbitrator award are evidence of the County's ability to pay salary increases. B. Work of the Corporation Counsel. At the April 30, 2012 Commission meeting, Senior Deputy Corporation Counsel Joseph K. Kamelamela testified in opposition to any pay decreases in salaries of appointed positions in a See March 5,2012 Minutes of the Commission Meeting,at page 8 5 Id., at page 3. 6 Id., at page 1.