By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

SENATOR Adolpho Palacios Sr., D-Ordot/Chalan Pago, introduced a bill that would authorize the Guam Mayors Council to establish additional positions and increase personnel support for each district mayor’s office.
Palacios said Bill 54 is in response to the council’s request for adjustments in the mayor offices’ personnel and budgetary requirements in light of the growing population in each village.
The bill seeks to provide village mayors and vice mayors with the manpower and physical resources “necessary to best serve their people and communities.”
“Many times, the provision of services is hampered because of the lack of necessary personnel or resources that are provided to the villages. This is largely attributed to the financial limitations of the government,” Bill 54 states.
“With the increasing residential population in several villages which can be credited to the growing residential numbers and a population shift from one village to another, this has created additional challenges for the respective mayors’ offices in meeting the needs of their communities,” the bill adds.
Bill 54 authorizes the creation of an additional position for a municipal clerk—on top of the current number of employees—for districts with a population of 5,000 or less. The council would be allowed to create an additional position for a community maintenance worker for districts with a population of over 5,000.
For districts with a population of 10,000 or more, the mayor’s office would be allocated funds for a chief of staff position. Districts with a population of over 20,000 would be allowed to hire an additional administrative assistant.
The bill also authorizes the mayors’ council to retain an attorney who would provide legal services and legal representation to the council in the event of litigation.
Palacios seeks to include the creation of new positions in the fiscal year 2008 budget.