HomeMy WebLinkAboutFY 2027 (Office of the County Attorney)
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ATTORNEY
FY 2027 BUDGET AND OPERATIONS SYNOPSIS
Tyler C. Saito
County Attorney
1
Department: COUNTY ATTORNEY
Fund: GENERAL FUND
1. FY 2026 to FY 2027 BUDGET COMPARISON
FY 2026 FY 2027 $ + / - % + / -
Salary and Wages 2,331,246 2,440,173 108,927 4.7%
Benefits 1,315,147 1,412,871 97,724 7.4%
Utilities 4,297 4,297 0 0.0%
Vehicle/Equip, Lease 0 0 0 0.0%
Operations 560,748 560,748 0 0.0%
4,211,438 4,418,089 206,651 4.9%
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
Salary and
Wages
Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip,
Lease
Operations
FY 2026
FY 2027
56%31%
0%0%
13%
FY 2026 Operating Budget
Salary and
Wages
Benefits
Utilities
Vehicle/Equip,
Lease
Operations
55%32%
0%
0%
13%
FY 2027 Operating Budget
Salary and
Wages
Benefits
Utilities
Vehicle/Equip,
Lease
Operations
2
2. MAJOR CHANGES AND/OR VARIANCES IN OPERATIONS BUDGET
Outside of increases to reflect the current salary resolution, we do not have any changes or
variances in our operation budget.
3. OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES
Salary continues to affect retention and recruitment. We hired one attorney for the Advice and
Counsel section in FY 2026. We currently have one attorney vacancy, and we are actively
recruiting to fill the position. As of February 2026, there are 176 open advice and counsel
matters. At the same time last year there were 178 open matters. However, we’ve significantly
reduced our backlog from about 120 legal requests to approximately 50 legal requests.
Our litigation case load is currently 196 cases, with varying degrees of complexity. At this time
last year, there were 226 litigation cases.
4. OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY 2026
• The Advice and Counsel attorneys reviewed 375 contracts, issued 211 opinions, and handled
56 requests related to government records.
• The Advice and Counsel team launched the Client Hub on SharePoint, a centralized resource
delivering clear, practical guidance and answers to common legal questions that pass
through our office. At the heart of this project are our Playbooks. Our seasoned attorneys
drafted these step-by-step manuals to assist County personnel carry out their duties and
responsibilities for the people of Kaua‘i. This project resulted in more efficient legal advice
and played a significant role in reducing our legal request backlog.
• The Risk Management team procured and administered the County’s insurance policies. The
Risk Management portal on SharePoint is continuously updated to allow for Countywide
communication of news, policies, and events related to risk management. The Risk
Management team continues to make progress on the appraisal project of County
properties/facilities. These valuations were used in the property insurance renewals. For the
first time in 8 years the County spent less for insurance as a result.
• The Litigation attorneys processed and closed 24 claims, 3 employee grievances, 2 interest
arbitrations, and 24 other cases with varying degrees of complexity.