Council approves support staff funding

LIHU‘E — A budget allotment for the seven Kauai County Council members of $100,000 each for personal support staff sparked heated debate in Wednesday’s finance committee meeting, with the majority of council members accepting the funding.

The county’s fiscal year operating budget, known as B-2023-891, had allotted $1 million for council assistance, with roughly $700,000 of that total going toward funding part- or full-time personal support staff to assist council members with their jobs.

Bill 2906, which was discussed and approved on Wednesday, lowered that amount to $500,000 due to both council chair Mel Rapozo and council member Bill DeCosta declining the funding.

“I won’t be supporting this,” said DeCosta, who was the only member to vote against the bill’s passage.

The amount was further lowered to $400,000 during the meeting when council member Bernard Carvalho decided he too did not want to receive the additional funding to hire support staff to assist him in his job.

“I made an amendment that removes my request for additional staff. And I support my fellow council members, but the current staff that we do have … is doing a tremendous job,” he said.

Rapozo, who was not at the meeting, told The Garden Island he declined the funds because he doesn’t have the need for a personal staff person at this time. Like Carvalho, Rapozo declined the funding for himself but voted in support of the funding for other council members.

“Unused funds will remain in the council assistance line to be used for training and other constituent services,” he said in a message response.

The measure means the four remaining council members — Addison Bulosan, Felicia Cowden, Ross Kagawa and KipuKai Kuali’i — will be able to use up to $100,000 each on part- or full-time support staff to assist them with their jobs.

The $100,000 allotment per council member is broken down into $75,000 for support staff salaries, another roughly $8,000 for social security contributions, and nearly $17,000 for laptops and other computer supplies.

Bulosan said the funding would allow them to attend more community events and provide more county services for residents.

“I believe the community wants us to do more for the community. And so I believe this is an opportunity for us to do that,” he said, adding that council members are “already stretched to the tip.”

Kagawa claimed Maui, Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu have several personal support staff that assist their council members.

“I believe we are just as important,” he said. “This is an opportunity that I’m going to take as a council member to try this out and see if I can be more efficient in my job.”

Both Kagawa and Cowden said Kaua‘i mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami was in support of the county budget funding personal staff for council members.

“I am very enthusiastic and appreciative particularly to the mayor’s office for very willingly wanting to be able to support us in this way,” said Cowden.

She added that the council’s current staff is “going over and above” their work requirements.

DeCosta, who was adamantly against the funding, stated current council staff have been previously awarded for their proficiency and competency in their jobs.

“Now all of a sudden, I’m hearing this discussion on the floor, and it seems like we need to hire some staff so we as professionals can do a better job,” he said. “Maybe we as council members have run for a position that takes a lot of work, and sometimes we gotta do that work … We get paid to do a job. And we got to do a job.”

DeCosta hoped his portion would go to other areas of the county in need of funding, such as the Agency on Elderly Affairs.

“I definitely would like to give my portion so we can fill areas of the county that really need it. In closing, thank you to our current staff who are doing a very proficient and competent job,” he said.

Kagawa retorted that voting for the bill had “no relation to feelings” about their current staff. “You should watch what you say,” he said.

The hostility between the two continued to escalate as Kagawa then asked DeCosta if he “wanted to take it outside,” before Kuali’i stepped in to add his reasoning for accepting constituent staff.

“For me, this is about increasing constituency services out of my office and better outreach and better communication,” Kuali’i said.

If council members use the maximum amount allotted, the salaries for their constituent staff members will be roughly the same as their own roughly $75,000 salaries.

The 2024 fiscal year operating budget shows each council member has a $74,952 salary, except for council chair Rapozo who will make $84,312. Each council member will also receive a $350 per month car allowance and another $150 per month for their cellphone.

The amended bill was approved with a 6-1 vote and took effect upon its approval.

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Emma Grunwald, reporter, can be reached at 808-652-0638 or egrunwald@thegardenisland.com.