The commission, however, imposed the cuts on all its employees.
Dela Cruz said the cuts resulted in a savings of $14,000 per pay period, but the island’s revenue collection was not enough for payroll and basic operating expenses “as evidenced by the delayed payroll in June and the anticipated delayed payroll for the last pay period of July.”
According to Dela Cruz, to prioritize payroll, he discontinued several public programs, annual leave lump sum payments, travel, professional services and office lease agreement.
He said he is still unable to pay the debts incurred by the previous mayor to several vendors, including Retirement Fund contributions.
The mayor said the commission’s decision to reinstate its work hours to 80 per pay period means that all local budget collection will go to TCGCC.
As a result, he added, no funds will be available to pay the municipal treasury staff, the mayor’s office operating expenses and other public programs.
“I do not believe that this was the intent of our people when they passed the Gaming Act in 1989,” Dela Cruz told the Tinian lawmakers.
The members of the commission are Francisco M. Borja, Ignacio K. Quichocho, Peter Q. Cruz, Michael H. San Nicolas and Bernadita C. Palacios.
Mayor Dela Cruz is asking the Tinian delegation and municipal council to hold an emergency session and implement a 20 percent cut in the commission’s work hours.
“I would like to request that employees receiving less than $30,000 per year be exempted from the cut,” he added.
Variety learned that the last time Tinian passed a local budget was in 2006 at a funding level of $4.9 million.
“There hasn’t been a local budget entertained since,” a source said yesterday. “We do not even come close to collecting that amount. We are struggling to pay personnel even with the voluntary 20 percent cut. Operational funds? They [the commission] have not paid their rent in over a year. With their hours reinstated and we do not collect enough revenues to pay personnel, we continue incurring debt which we will never be able to afford.”
Each commissioner gets $75,000 a year not including benefits.
With benefits, the total compensation is over $100,000 each.
“It is a known fact that they do not come to work yet they continue to accrue annual leave. At the end of their six-year term, annual leave lump sum payments are in excess of $20,000,” the source said.
By law, commissioners must be paid no lower than $50,000.
“Four inspectors, who are the lowest paid at TCGCC at around $18,000, have quit. These are the people who actually do show up to work,” the source said.
Variety was also told that passing a local budget will prove to be a challenge for several reasons:
Commissioner Peter Cruz is the brother of Sen. Frank Cruz, R-Tinian.
Commissioner Michael San Nicolas is the brother of Sen. Henry San Nicolas, Covenant-Tinian.
