Kauai voters ordered a county watchdog in 2008; the council has left it empty 11 years
In 2008 nearly 64% of Kauai voters approved a charter amendment creating an Office of the County Auditor, appointed by the County Council for a six-year term with power to inspect any county record and subpoena witnesses. The office has had no auditor for about 11 years. The council has run at least seven recruitments, including a $30,000 executive search in 2018, drawing 164 applicants, 28 of them qualified, without filling the job. Council Chair Mel Rapozo said the difficulty is finding qualified candidates who will take the roughly $154,000 salary and called filling it a priority. Meanwhile the council hires outside firms for selected performance audits and holds $600,000 for them. The council reposted the opening in March 2026; the county's own auditor page still says the office is currently vacant.
Councils going forward should always be striving to fill that position,
The office is currently vacant. Please direct inquiries to the following office:
Chair Mel Rapozo: qualified candidates are hard to find at the salary; filling the post is a priority.
"Councils going forward should always be striving to fill that position."
No outcome recorded yet.