The Honolulu Salary Commission voted unanimously today to recommend no salary raises for elected and appointed city officials.

In light of the economic crisis facing the city and the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many furloughed or laid off, elected officials and citizens objected to the nearly across-the-board 3% pay raises on the list, many of whom already make well over $100,000.

The Commission Chairman Kevin Sakamoto held the hearing at Honolulu Hale in the Council Chamber, with all in attendance wearing masks, but no live testimony from the public was allowed.

Only three commissioners attended in person. The others attended remotely, but one commissioner could not clearly be heard.

Sakamoto said he held the hearing during the pandemic because the committee had the room reserved and it had to meet a May 1 deadline.

Snippets of public testimony were read, all opposing salary raises of officials including the mayor, who makes $186,432, the police chief whose salary is $205,800 and the fire chief who gets paid $199,272.