Thanks to Malia Espinda for the information regarding the Salary Commission’s role in setting City Council member salaries, including the fact that member salaries are indexed to civil service salaries (“Why the Honolulu Salary Commission backs Council raise,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, April 18).

Civil service salaries should reflect the competencies necessary for a particular job, approximate private sector salaries and be competitive in order to attract quality city employees.

However, Council member salaries should be indexed to the incomes of the people they represent, not employees of the city. Council positions are political and require the knowledge and skill necessary to effectively represent the people of Honolulu.

The Salary Commission’s role should be to determine the percentage of the average annual income of a Honolulu resident upon which to base Council member salaries, which can be made to change annually.

Dan Anderson

McCully-Moiliili

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