LIHUE —The Kauai County Council is still seeking qualified candidates for county auditor in the Office of the County Clerk. The council has held several executive sessions of late regarding the position but, according to a recent press release, is continuing with its on-going recruitment of the position.
“Ultimately, I believe that the Kauai County Council is looking for an applicant that meets all of the requirements being evaluated,” said Council Chair Arryl Kaneshiro.
“This includes meeting the Charter-required minimum qualifications, having the necessary experience to fulfill the duties of the county auditor, and meeting the specific qualifications or ‘fit’ that each of the seven individual councilmembers is looking for.”
Kaneshiro wasn’t able to comment on any other specifics related to the recruitment, but one candidate who publicly threw his hat in the ring at the end of last year is former council Chair Mel Rapozo.
“… I am hopeful that this position will get filled soon,” Rapozo said. “This county needs an independent auditor, as the benefits in efficiencies far outweigh the cost of the office.”
The job entails auditing all county funds, programs and operations, according to a press release.
“This includes performance audits of funds or operations as requested by the council by resolution, and to perform all related duties including supervising and managing any office staff,” according to the release.
Among the requirements for the position is a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, public administration or a related field. Eligible candidates must also have relevant “professional proficiency,” such as a certified public accountant, certification as an internal auditor or an advanced degree in a relevant field, as well as five years of experience in government auditing, evaluation or analysis, according to the release.
The salary of the position, per the County of Kauai’s Department of Human Resources Job Opportunities Listing website, is around $128,000.
Applications can be submitted at governmentjobs.com/careers/kauai.
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Coco Zickos, county reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or czickos@thegardenisland.com.
Can’t find an auditor eh? Maybe that’s because anyone applying for the job just needs to search for “auditor” on this newspapers website to see a long series of articles about what happened to the last auditor we had. Anyone remember? He reported misuse of county funds, got into a huge fight with the mayor and had to sue the county. Basically fired for discovering irregularities- exactly what his job entails. So yeah, maybe the problem is our county because no doubt there’s people who would like this job but fear for retribution from our “leaders”.
I think they should hire Mel, He knows everyone, can help keep waste and fraud to a minimum, and help out all his friends. Plus, the salary seems pretty minimal, its almost like he would be volunteering. I vote for Mel.