Maui voters are being asked to approve a charter amendment that would allow the county Board of Ethics to hire its own full-time staff, including an executive director, a secretary, and an investigator. Currently an all-volunteer board, the addition of staff would provide more opportunities for ethics training of county employees and investigations of ethics violations. Supporters of the amendment believe that educating and training public employees is crucial in preventing ethics violations. The staff members would assist the board in providing advice, reviewing financial disclosures, and monitoring ethics training. The funding for these positions would be a stand-alone section of the Corporation Counsel’s budget, with an estimated annual cost of $200,000-$250,000. The investigator would serve as a resource for the staff rather than solely following up on complaints. The Maui County Council unanimously approved Resolution 24-95 to place the issue on the general election ballot. The ballot question will ask voters if they support authorizing the Board of Ethics to hire independent staff, with a focus on providing more efficiency, autonomy, and consistency to the board. The goal is to ensure that public employees are well-equipped to handle ethical situations and to prevent violations from occurring.
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Maui Voters to Vote on Allowing County Board of Ethics to Employ Full-Time Staff
