Arnold Palacios
GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios approved the proposed local appropriations for Precinct 4 projects but echoed the concerns of the Office of the Attorney General regarding the expenditure authority.
Authored by House Vice Speaker Joel Camacho, House Local Bill 23-44 is now Saipan Local Law 23-18.
It appropriates $66,210 in leftover funds from the $15 million exclusive casino license fee paid by Imperial Pacific International in 2016 as follows:
1) $25,000 for utility costs associated with the use of lights and/or water in public recreational facilities or parks in Precinct 4.
2) $11,210 for the repair or replacement of damaged or deteriorated infrastructure of public recreational facilities in Precinct 4.
3) $10,000 for the repair of public playground equipment in Precinct 4.
4) $10,000 for the maintenance and repairs of public restrooms in Precinct 4.
5) $10,000 for fuel and lubrication of equipment for projects in Precinct 4.
The new law designates the secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources as the expenditure authority of the funds, except the $25,000 for light and water for parks, the expenditure authority for which is the Finance secretary in consultation with the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. executive director and the Parks and Recreation director.
In his transmittal letter to Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez and Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation Chairman John Paul Sablan, the governor said the attorney general had noted ambiguity in the language pertaining to expenditure authority.
The AG said the legislative intent appears to be for the DLNR secretary as the expenditure authority, but the measure also allows the Finance secretary to be the expenditure authority of the $25,000 for lights and water for parks.
The governor said the expenditure authority for particular funds in the subsections of bills should be stated more explicitly in the language of future bills to avoid overlapping jurisdiction or confusion.
Also, he said, the language pertaining to the reporting of expenditures is ambiguous with respect to responsibility for the requirement to report expenditures.
He said the intent is likely for the expenditure authorities to be responsible for reporting of expenditure of those funds to the SNILD. But, like the expenditure authority, the responsibility for reporting requirement should be clearly and explicitly stated in future bills, Palacios said.
