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Council sets salaries, approves hires for Board of Ethics amid staffing push
Summary
Maui County Council approved salaries and appointments to staff its newly created Board of Ethics, setting an administrative assistant salary and approving an investigator hire as requested by the board’s executive director.
The Maui County Council on Sept. 8, 2025, adopted resolutions to set salaries and approve an initial staffing structure for the newly created Board of Ethics. The council passed Resolution 25-169 setting the annual salary for the administrative assistant position and Resolution 25-170 setting the investigator salary, and approved a substitute version of the investigator resolution to allow immediate hiring under a temporary classification while an ordinance to authorize part-time employment proceeds.
Lauren Akitake, executive director and legal counsel to the board of ethics, told the council she is currently “a one-woman show” and that the board needs staff immediately to process complaints, advisory opinions, and financial disclosures, and to produce outreach and training materials. Managing Director Josiah Nishita and Akitake explained that an accompanying ordinance would allow the investigator to be hired part time later, but that temporary classification was needed now to onboard a candidate with relevant experience.
Board staffing and compensation were presented as necessary to make the ethics office operational. Council members expressed support and asked logistical questions about timelines for budget adjustments; the administration said any further funding changes would be handled through a later budget amendment once audits and savings are recognized.
The council adopted the salary and appointment resolutions unanimously. Resolution 25-169 set the administrative assistant’s annual salary at $71,016 effective Sept. 1, 2025. Resolution 25-170 (as substituted) set the investigator’s salary at the requested step and authorized hiring under the specified classification effective Sept. 9, 2025.
Clarifying details: the board of ethics was described as a quasi-judicial body that will process complaints, advisory opinions and financial disclosure statements; Akitake said the office will revise rules and provide training starting in October. The council was told the staffing would be supported in the existing budget and that the administration plans a budget amendment later in the fiscal year to recognize savings and allocate funds if needed.
Next steps: the council’s formal salary-setting acts allow the Board of Ethics to onboard its first staff. The administration and board said they will follow up with ordinance language to authorize part-time hires and will return to council with any necessary budget amendments.
