HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on Charter Amendment Question #4, which proposes capping annual salary increases for Honolulu City Councilmembers at no more than 5%.
The amendment would also remove the council's authority to vote on their own pay raises.
Currently, the Salary Commission determines councilmember salaries, with the council having the final say on any proposed raises.
"To me, that's a conflict of interest," said Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters. "This solves that problem by taking it out of the hands of council members."
The proposed amendment would tie any salary increases for councilmembers to the average annual pay raises received by city employees in collective bargaining units.
For instance, if city employees were to receive a 10% increase, councilmembers would still be limited to a 5% raise.
This proposal comes in the wake of mixed reactions to a 64% pay increase recommended by the Salary Commission earlier this year, which aimed to align councilmember salaries with those of other executive and legislative positions.
Some critics, including concerned citizen Natalie Iwasa, argue that the proposal does not fully address the complexities surrounding council pay raises.
Iwasa noted that while the Ethics Commission suggested councilmembers should not vote on their own salaries, the issue of voting on salaries during the budget process remains ambiguous.
However, proponents assert that the amendment would help restore public trust in the council's decision-making regarding salaries.