By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

IN anticipation of a 40 percent reduction in its yearly appropriation, the Tinian municipal government is preparing an action plan that will help sustain operations, according to the mayor’s financial consultant Rex I. Palacios.
Palacios is scheduled to make a presentation tomorrow on the alternative options before members of the Tinian legislative delegation and Mayor Jose P. San Nicolas at his office.
The municipality used to receive an $11.2 million annual budget but this was reduced beginning in 2006 when the administration revised the government’s $213 million budget to $198 million.
This will be further reduced by $30 million because of the anticipated revenue shortfall.
Palacios, in an interview on Friday, said the mayor is looking at “four options” — furloughs, reprogramming federal capital improvement project funds, turning off streetlights again, and consolidating the municipality’s offices.
He said the people of Tinian and the government should prepare for the worst case scenario.
“There are drastic measures that need to be taken. There’s no other way we can do it because there’s no funding available for us,” Palacios said.
He said some of the municipality’s 263 employees may be “temporarily” laid off.
“As to how many, we don’t know yet,” he said.