By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE Saipan and Northern Island Municipal Council found a new ally in Senate Vice President Pete P. Reyes, who has introduced another legislative initiative that will give municipal councils lawmaking power.
Reyes, Ind.-Saipan, introduced Senate Legislative Initiative 15-14 during the session held on Tinian on Wednesday last week.
It proposes “to repeal and re-enact Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution to vest municipal lawmaking power and authority in the municipal council, and for other purposes,”
The legislative initiative stated that “ the collective leadership of the Legislature in cooperation with the administration is required to demonstrate statesmanship in the affairs of the commonwealth and to avoid dwelling on provincial ministerial matters affecting the respective municipalities.”
The present constitutional agencies of local government, the initiative stated, are adequate in dealing with the municipal affairs.
It proposes “to vest in the municipal councils the authority and responsibility over the enactment of local municipal laws and in the mayor the power to approve or disapprove proposed municipal laws that pertain or relate exclusively to the respective senatorial district.”
Any municipal bill that is disapproved by the mayor “is subject to an override by the majority of the members of the affected municipal council, except that an override on any appropriation and revenue-generating measure shall require the unanimous consent and approval of the affected council.”
The legislative initiative added that “municipal councils shall jointly define the local matters that may be the subject of municipal laws and shall uniformly adopt them in their rules of procedure.”
The Saipan mayor recently signed an “ordinance” that establishes a neighborhood watch taskforce. Its legality, however, was questioned by the House of Representatives.
Besides the two houses of the Legislature, the legislative delegations of Saipan, Tinian and Rota can also enact laws.