Posted on: Monday, April 8, 2002

EDITORIAL
Timing is poor for city salary increases

In these lean times, when businesses are going belly up and people are losing jobs, it's not easy to justify tax-dollar supported salary raises for government officials

So, the Honolulu Salary Commission's recommendation for top city officials to receive pay raises for the third straight year seems — at best — ill-timed.

If the plan is approved, the mayor, City Council and most department chiefs and their deputies would see a 3 percent increase in their paychecks as of July 1. Meanwhile, the police and fire chiefs and their deputies would see a 5 percent jump.

We understand the commission's rationale that these salaries must keep pace with inflation and union raises. But there's no pressing need for those hikes to occur at this particular moment in time.

The question is not whether the raises are deserved, it's whether the city can afford them. According to Mayor Jeremy Harris, it can't. He opposes the increase, estimated to cost taxpayers $136,000, because the city is under tight fiscal constraints, with a billion-dollar operating budget.

Besides, the salaries these officials receive well exceed a living wage. At $112,000 a year, Harris isn't struggling to make ends meet. Nor is City Managing Director Ben Lee, who makes $107,100. As for City Council members, who pull in $43,350 a year for essentially a part-time job, they're making more than most public school teachers.

Why not wait until after this year's election to put through a salary plan, when a new administration takes over? After all, the incumbent elected and appointed officials and their deputies came into office at a specific salary.

If they wanted more money, perhaps they shouldn't have taken the position in the first place.