By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE House of Representatives has adopted a resolution directing its legal counsel to ask the Supreme Court whether the Saipan municipal council has the authority to pass an ordinance that Mayor Juan B. Tudela signed last month.
H.R. 15-100 was introduced by Speaker Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan.
The municipal bill that Tudela signed creates a neighborhood watch program on Saipan.
According to the House resolution, the municipal council’s authority to assign duties to the mayor of Saipan is “unclear,”
The three-member Saipan council has been pushing for its “empowerment for the past several years now.
The municipal ordinance the council passed states that the Saipan Municipal Neighborhood Watch Task Force will carry out a neighborhood watch program in every precinct on Saipan.
Its responsibilities include distributing crime prevention and deterrence information to citizens, holding meetings with local law enforcement agencies about crime in the community, taking steps to prevent, curb and solve criminal activities, conducting home security surveys to prevent residents from being burglarized.
The council member said they came up with the municipal bill in the face of rising criminal incidents on Saipan, many of which are taking place in broad daylight.
Still pending in the House of Representatives is Rep. Candido B. Taman’s House Legislative Initiative 15-15 which proposes to abolish municipal councils.
Taman said his proposal will allow the cash-strapped government to save at least $1 million a year.
According to Taman, the abolition of municipal councils will also eliminate duplication and overlapping of functions that are already performed by the legislative delegations.
A legislative initiative is a proposal to amend the Constitution.
If it is approved by at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the Legislature present and voting, it is placed on the ballot.
It is considered ratified if approved by a majority of the votes cast.
A legislative initiative passed by the Legislature may not be vetoed by the governor.