Statement of Councilmember Esther Kia`āina on the 2023 Salary Commission Recommendations on Honolulu City Councilmembers’ Salaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2023
ESTHER KIAʻĀINA
VICE CHAIR
HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 3
EMAIL: ekiaaina@honolulu.gov
TELEPHONE: (808) 768-5003
While it would have been preferable if the increase in City Councilmembers’ salaries was phased in over time, I support the Salary Commission’s recommendation to account for the actual performance of our jobs and I think the basis of their recommendation is sound. The Salary Commission took into consideration the actual Councilmembers’ work performed, salaries of neighbor island councilmembers and City managers and staff, cost of living, and inflation indices. It also considered that councilmembers’ salaries have been frozen 19 times over the last 33 years, and tied the recommended councilmember salary to the salary for entry level City division chiefs and administrators. For this reason, I do not support an outright rejection of the commission’s recommendations. I believe that the members of the Salary Commission worked diligently to fulfill their responsibility under the City Charter, which is to provide “adequate compensation for work performed.” The City Council is a full-time job that demands our full time dedication and focus. Given the importance of this issue and the significant public discourse on the topic, I support an open dialogue by the Councilmembers.
Regardless of the outcome at the Honolulu City Council on the pay increases, I will continue to advocate for hearings on Bill 33 (2023) and Resolution 23-109, which propose to ban outside employment by City Councilmembers. Banning outside employment would ensure current and future councilmembers can fully dedicate themselves to their jobs. At the start of this year, I worked to adjust my workload with outside employment in order to fulfill my City Council kuleana.
I have dedicated nearly 30 years of my life to public service at the federal, state, and county levels of government to help the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands region. I steadfastly support the important role that the City Council plays, which is critical to the City’s over $4 billion annual budget, basic government services, operations of the City and County of Honolulu, and quality of life for our communities. I am a community advocate at heart and I will continue to advocate for the Windward side and all the people of Oʻahu with my cumulative and collective knowledge and experiences to the best of my ability.
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