Pearson, Teruya Win Committee Support as Directors of Water and Finance

Jeffrey Pearson received a recommendation for approval as director of the Department of Water Supply, and Scott Teruya won committee support for confirmation as director of the Department of Finance.  PC: Pearson (left) by Wendy Osher; Teruya (right) courtesy County of Maui.

A council committee on Friday advanced recommendations in support of Jeffrey Pearson as director of the Department of Water Supply, and Scott Teruya as director of the Department of Finance.

This brings to six the total number of nominees selected by Maui Mayor Michael Victorino to advance toward confirmations in committee.

“I’m very pleased,” Mayor Victorino said of the action taken by the Maui County Council’s Governance, Ethics and Transparency Committee. “I thank the committee members for all their hard work and diligence in considering my appointees. I look forward to final approval of their nominations before the full council.”

The panel is chaired by Council Member Mike Molina.

On Wednesday, the committee called for approval of Mayor Victorino’s nominations of Sandy Baz as managing director and Michael Miyamoto as director of the Department of Environmental Management.

On Jan. 23, the panel advanced Mayor Victorino’s appointments of Karla Peters as director of the Department of Parks and Recreation and Marc Takamori as director of the Department of Transportation.

So far, the only appointee not to receive a recommendation for approval was John Kim for prosecuting attorney. That decision was a 5-4 vote.

All recommendations advance to the full council for final action.

The committee will resume its consideration of the nominees on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

The panel has yet to take action on Mayor Victorino’s nominees for the departments of Corporation Counsel, Public Works, Planning and Housing and Human Concerns.

This is the first time that all 11 of the mayor’s appointees to department director positions have been subject to council confirmation.