Honolulu, Hawaii – A significant change in pay policy for Honolulu City Council members will take effect with the new year, following overwhelming voter support for a charter amendment that limits annual council raises to 5%. This decision comes after a controversial 64% salary increase approved in 2023, which propelled council salaries to over $113,000 from approximately $68,900.
The approval for the charter amendment garnered an astonishing 90.6% of votes in the November general election. Under the new rules, any future raises for council members will now be aligned with the average salary increases of the city’s various collective bargaining units, rather than being independently determined by the council itself.
This amendment was a direct reaction to the public outcry that followed the 2023 pay raise acceptance by six of the nine city council members. Council members Andria Tupola, Radiant Cordero, and Augie Tulba notably declined their approved pay hikes.
Additionally, the amendment removes the authority of council members to vote on their own salary increases. Salaries for the council, as well as other city officials, will now be set by the city’s Salary Commission, which is composed of members appointed by both the mayor and the council.
Earlier in the year, the Salary Commission had recommended a modest 3% pay raise for various city officials including council members. However, due to mounting public dissatisfaction, the entire council opted to reject another salary increase in April.
Moreover, as dictated by the will of the voters, the Salary Commission will now need to issue separate resolutions for establishing salaries of council members and other city employees.
The salary cap was one of four charter amendments passed in November. The others included the creation of a climate fund, financed by 0.5% of the city’s estimated annual real property tax revenues to support climate change mitigation and education. A reorganization of the city’s Department of Emergency Management and a new requirement for the department’s director to possess at least five years of relevant experience was also approved.
Further, the establishment of a new Department of Ocean Safety, which was previously part of the Department of Emergency Services, became official. This new department will have a five-member panel with broad oversight and budgetary responsibilities, including the authority to appoint or remove the chief of ocean safety.
On a broader scale, Hawaii is also implementing laws aimed at curbing “abusive litigation” used by intimate partners to harass or control their former partners. Hawaii state judges will now have the authority to dismiss such cases and potentially require the plaintiff to cover legal fees and bar them from filing future litigation for up to six years.
Other statewide legislative changes include adjustments to public-meeting notices facilitating remote participation and new authorization for pharmacists and pharmacy interns to administer vaccines to children as young as three years old.
In efforts to bolster support for caregivers, Governor Josh Green, on Monday, signed an executive order to extend protections to caregivers of medical cannabis patients, pushing for these protections to be made permanent in future legislative sessions.
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