The mayor and City Council members will not get salary increases this year after a unanimous vote Monday by the Honolulu Salary Commission.
The commission is responsible for setting the salaries of Honolulu’s top officials, ranging from the mayor to deputy department heads.
The commission’s report said executive salary raises are normally tied to pay increases in contracts negotiated with the Hawaii Government Employees Association’s Professional and Scientific Employees bargaining unit, which encompasses many administrative positions such as accountants, planners and information specialists.
“The counterpart collective Bargaining Unit 13 is utilized as a benchmark to grant salary increases for the Excluded Managerial employees, and for the salaries covered by the Commission,” wrote Commissioners Carolee Kubo and David Hayakawa in their report.
“No salary increases were negotiated for Bargaining Unit 13 effective July 1, 2021 and it is unknown at this time if any increases will be negotiated effective July 1, 2022.”
In 2020 the Salary Commission considered granting a 3% increase for the mayor and Council members but ultimately did not because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the Salary Commission’s March meeting, Kubo explained that if the Professional and Scientific Employees do negotiate a raise, the commission can retroactively implement raises for the top administration officials in 2023.
Office of Council Services Director James Williston submitted testimony as an individual advocating for pay increases for directors. He explained that without them, qualified employees might turn down department head positions because it would mean a reduction in pay.
He pointed to former acting Department of Planning and Permitting Director Kathy Sokugawa, whose reported pay for 2020 was between $106,572 and $177,408, according city salary disclosures given to Civil Beat, while the director’s position paid $166,560.
“This range indicates that employees in the department with sufficient seniority are eligible for salaries exceeding that of the director,” Williston wrote.
Most department heads make $166,560 a year.
The last salary increase for the mayor’s position was a 3.5% bump in 2019, bringing the current pay to $186,432.
However, the highest-paid position controlled by the commission is the city medical examiner, at $310,200 a year. City Council members are the lowest-paid position at $68,904 a year.
BY THE NUMBERS
Annual salaries of some City and County of Honolulu positions
$68,904
City Council members
$166,560
Most city department heads
$186,432
Mayor
$310,200
City medical examiner
