The audit comes on the heels of a scathing indictment of the commission by U.S. District Judge David Ezra, during the sentencing of one of eight former inspectors convicted in cases of extortion and bribery.

In examining the current structure of the commission, it's easy to see how the lines of accountability are blurred. Currently, Hawai'i's liquor commissions operate under a state law but are administered by the counties. On O'ahu, the mayor appoints the five commissioners, who in turn hire the administrator, but the City Council ultimately decides how much of the commission's revenues are budgeted. The administrator is responsible for hiring staff, but the city's human resources officials also are involved.

Clearly some streamlining is in order.

Weatherwax, who has run the commission for seven years, says he plans to make some changes, such as working to raise the professionalism of inspectors.

A good first step would be to open up the process and explain to taxpayers precisely what will change and when those changes will occur. Then, Weatherwax must be accountable for the success or failure of those reforms.

Finally, the mayor and the council must be part of the solution. It's been attempted before: A task force to consider alternative strategies for liquor enforcement convened during Jeremy Harris' administration but disintegrated because of the strained relationship between Harris and the council. With the new mayor's resolve to work cooperatively with the council, perhaps a renewed effort would yield better results.