Gov’s chief of staff shifts to deputy role

Mike McCartney, Gov. David Ige’s chief of staff, has been moved into a lower-­level position and salary — but gets to keep his old title — under what Ige describes as a reorganization of his office.

The change was prompted in October when the governor named former state Transportation Director Ford Fuchigami as his administrative director.

Some political observers questioned the legality of having two individuals separately serving in a constitutionally mandated role with a constitutionally prescribed salary. Under past governors the titles of chief of staff and administrative director were held simultaneously by one staffer.

McCartney, who resigned as head of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to join Ige’s administration shortly after the 2014 election, had been handling the functions of both jobs and was being paid the salary set for the administrative director. When Fuchigami’s appointment was announced, Ige’s office said Fuchigami’s new role would primarily involve the duties of a former deputy chief of staff, a position that became vacant in December 2016.

But Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser last week that the deputy chief of staff position has been eliminated, and McCartney has assumed those duties as well as the lower $148,000 salary tied to that position. As administrative director, Fuchigami is receiving McCartney’s old salary of $151,776.

“So now it’s split but there’s no deputy anymore. … We took that deputy position, put me in that, put Ford in as administrative director,” McCartney said, adding that his title remains chief of staff.

McCartney said the reshuffling was not prompted by concerns that as chief of staff he was earning a salary constitutionally prescribed for the administrative director position, which Fuchigami now fills. He said the salary changes were effective at the time of Fuchigami’s appointment.

“It’s not constitution,” he said. “It’s ‘reorg’ to continue to meet the needs that we got to do out there.”

The state Constitution lists among the governor’s executive powers that he or she “shall appoint an administrative director,” and further requires the Commission on Salaries to set the pay for the position — currently $151,776.

The job’s duties are laid out in state law, which says the administrative director “shall assist the governor by gathering and collating information concerning the functioning of the state government, by establishing and maintaining liaison among the (departments) … and in such other manner as the governor may direct.”

Ige said Fuchigami is taking the lead on things like legislation, policy and the budget, while McCartney oversees functions including communications and collective bargaining.

“As we were looking at filling the staff requirements, we were exploring who would add value to serving up here, and I chose Ford,” Ige said. “So we looked at how we wanted to proceed in that regard and decided that we would use the administrative director title as provided, and he will assume the responsibilities that are outlined. … It’s really looking at the employees we have and figuring out where people can be most effective and then assigning the work.”

McCartney likened the administrative director to the city’s managing director, who serves as the No. 2 official under the mayor.

“That’s kind of how the idea evolved,” McCartney said. “It’s just finding the right place for everybody to do the best things. And so that’s the best fit.”