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Well, the Maui County Salary Commission remains absolutely tone deaf when it comes to determining the pay of our local leaders.
While our senior citizens are seeing their cost of living adjustment for Social Security for next year coming in at under 1 percent, the Salary Commission approved a 12 percent pay raise for the mayor, department directors and deputies.
It's not quite as bad as its last determinations, effective in 2014, that gave the mayoral position a 19 percent raise and 15 percent for the directors.
When the raise takes effect in July next year, it means the mayor's pay will have increased from $114,030 to $151,980 in three years' time -- a smooth 32.45 percent increase.
It is interesting to note that our current mayor told the commission in January that he was "satisfied" with his pay and that he was not seeking pay increases for department heads. Too bad, the commission apparently said, we're giving out this money.
The way the commission operates continues to send the wrong message. As we wrote when it approved the 2014 increase, a much more sensible (and businesslike) approach would have been to approve a series of 2 to 3 percent increases per year for a period of three years.
The jolt these double-digit increases sends to the budgeting process every couple of years is unprofessional and leaves other workers wondering why they don't get such pay hikes.
One final note: Like the rest of Maui County government, the Salary Commission just thumbs its nose at the state's Sunshine Law. No reasonable person could have perceived from its agenda that these pay increases were going to be discussed.
The Office of Information Practices -- the agency that oversees Hawaii's Sunshine Law -- has no enforcement authority. It is worse than a toothless tiger -- it is a purring kitten.
It's no wonder public entities just ignore it.
* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.