Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters is stonewalling

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There have been a lot of complaints on social media and at the Salary Commission Hearing about the 64% pay raise for the Honolulu City Council.

Honolulu City Council Chair has not scheduled the two existing Resolutions to reject the Salary Commission’s pay increases entirely or in part.

But it appears Chair Tommy Waters is going to deny the public for a City Council hearing and do nothing about their complaints. If the City Council does not adopt a Resolution to refute or reject or redo the salary figures, the recommended increases will automatically become in effect come July 1, 2023.

This is from KHON2.

The Salary Commission adopted these schedule of salaries listed for the upcoming fiscal year:

  • Honolulu mayor: $209,856 
  • Council chair: $123,292 
  • Council members: $113,292
  • Prosecuting attorney: $198,888
  • First deputy prosecuting attorney: $189,096
  • Managing director: $200,712
  • Deputy managing director: $190,296
  • Corporation council: $192,864
  • First deputy corporation council: $183,220
  • Deputy heads: $187,488
  • Deputy department heads: $177,888
  • Police chief: $231,648
  • Deputy police chiefs: $220,944
  • Fire chief: $224,304
  • Deputy fire chief: $213,912
  • Medical examiner: $363,151
  • Deputy medical examiner: $354,161
  • Band director: $177,888

During the hearing before the recommendations were decided these testimonies were said:

“To actually give councilmembers who are at the office three times a week at the most a lot of them — a 90% pay increase? It’s just ignorance in my opinion and I cannot see that happening,” testified Alfred Medeiros.

“Every day citizens never receive 100% pay increases that’s beyond greedy. It makes you look very corrupt,” testified Jasmine Torres.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also testified at the Salary Commission:

“They took pay cuts and they stepped up to the plate at a time when most people didn’t even want to think about what was going to happen,” said Blangiardi. “This was courageous on their part. I’ve been so humbled and inspired by them, and the work that they put in.”

The Mayor’s Managing Director Mike Formby also testified:

“I think those people deserve a right to move into leadership roles but they’re not gonna move into the leadership rules,” said Mike Formby, city managing director. “If they have to take a pay cut it just doesn’t make sense.”

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