LIHU‘E — During a Kaua‘i County Council public hearing Wednesday for a bill that would put an end to county furloughs, County Deputy Prosecutor Jake Delaplane said the measures to cut the budget have been dangerous and harmful. “Two felons
LIHU‘E — During a Kaua‘i County Council public hearing Wednesday for a bill that would put an end to county furloughs, County Deputy Prosecutor Jake Delaplane said the measures to cut the budget have been dangerous and harmful.
“Two felons per month were released because of furloughs,” Delaplane said. “That includes property, drug and sex crimes.”
Because the justice system has a series of timelines for due process, such as 48 hours to determine probable cause and set preliminary hearings, those arrested near the end of a furlough week would sometimes have to be released.
“What we saw with furloughs at our office was we were unable to do our job,” he said. “We couldn’t hold people in custody at the end of the week because of time constraints.”
During trial, sometimes evidence custodians, who handle the case evidence housed at the police department, were furloughed, and the attorney would therefore not have access to evidence necessary to prosecute cases, he added.
“We would be in trial and need evidence,” Delaplane said, “and we saw cases dismissed and delayed.”
Last June, the county announced a two-day per month furlough plan effective July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.
It included most county workers, with the exception of essential services such as fire and police departments and the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. However, some of the prosecuting attorney’s essential support staff were included under the measure.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. last month called for an end to the furloughs; however, such an action requires council approval.
“We hold the purse strings,” Council Chair Jay Furfaro said. “This has to go through a process.”
County workers were ordered to report to their jobs last Friday, the first scheduled furlough day of the new year.
In a news release, Carvalho said the administration sent a bill to the council that would completely eliminate furloughs and salary reductions for the remainder of fiscal year 2011.
As of June 30, the county had a surplus of $43.1 million. The unassigned fund balance increased by $10.3 million, or 31 percent, from the prior year, according to the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2010.
The council is expected to take a final vote on the furlough bill during its Jan. 26 meeting.
