A state arbitrator has made a decision to award police officers throughout the state of Hawaii a 16.8 percent pay raise over the next four years. This will cover a total of 2,900 police personnel with the City and County of Honolulu and the counties of Kauai, Maui and Hawaii (Big Island of Hawaii) from lieutenants to the newest recruits. The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers President, Tenari Ma'afala, stated that he was happy with the arbitrator's decision and that this amount was very close to what his union had requested.
However, county officials throughout the state are very concerned by what they are calling a "massive pay increase" and warn that if they are going to pay for the raise, residents may face cuts in services or be forced to pay more in property taxes to cover the additional expense. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell stated, "Supporting our police officers and paying them competitive salaries is very important to recruiting and maintaining the strongest police force for Honolulu and keep us one of the safest big cities in America. However, the wage increases set by the arbitration panel are far more than we anticipated. It is clear that the city administration and the Honolulu City Council will need to address revenue enhancements while looking for additional cost savings if we are going to meet our financial obligations."
Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson added that the city should be able to afford the pay increase through the 2013-2014 fiscal year, but would be forced to cut costs in other areas or raise additional revenue after that. Anderson stated, "The arbitrators' decision is more than we anticipated, but we are obligated to pay it and we should pay it. Our police officers, firefighters and other first responders are at the center of the core services provided by the county government, and without them our safety would be severely compromised. Although this is more than we anticipated, I can't say that it is undeserved."
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-6-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
