House Local Bill 17-33, authored by Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, appropriates up to $3.4 million collected from poker license fees.
The Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation set aside $3.1 million for the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance program and several projects and activities.
These included the Saipan Little League, the 30th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival, Saipan Zoning, the Agricultural Fair, the Boy Scouts Program, Liberation Day activities, fishing derby, the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council, the purchase of maintenance and upkeep equipment such as riding mowers, bush cutters and other related equipment for the maintenance of Oleai Sports Complex, the Pacific Mini-Games, the Neighborhood Watch Program, the construction of bus shelters in Precincts 1 and 5 as well as all the Saipan public schools.
But based on the trend of poker machine license renewals, Inos said the Department of Finance anticipates a 2.6 percent reduction in collections.
Therefore, those other projects enumerated in the bill “will be allotted proportionately based on collections after the $3.1 million for SHEFA is satisfied.”
He added, “I urge all expenditure authorities to adhere to applicable restrictions in expending the appropriated funds in this measure. The Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance board for one must take note of Section 4 of this measure which specifically prohibits the use of the $100,000 operations appropriation for any consulting and/or professional services contracts.”
