THE House of Representatives may not sanction the salaries of four of the five appointees of Gov. Juan N. Babauta that are higher than the cap set by the Compensation Adjustment Act.
In an interview yesterday, House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider said they may reject the governor’s request to sanction the salaries of Charles D. Jordan, the special assistant for capital improvement projects; Adam B. Turner, policy consultant to the governor; Rudolfo M. Pua, director of Emergency Management Office; and Francisco I. Taitano, special assistant for customs, quarantine and policy research.
Hofschneider, R-Saipan, said the House may only sanction the salary of Robert J. Schwalbach who was appointed senior policy advisor to the governor as “he does his work and doesn’t duplicate anybody else’s function.”
Schwalbach will receive an annual salary of $65,000.
The functions of Pua and Taitano “duplicate” the functions of other government employees, according to Hofschneider.
He said Turner and Jordan’s services were procured through independent contracts and have to be “clarified first.”
The speaker said Babauta failed to mention in his letter justifying Pua’s salary that there was another person hired with the same function.
Taitano also duplicates some of the functions of the director of customs service, the speaker said.
The governor earlier sent a letter to the Legislature stating that after much diligent effort was made, his office was unsuccessful in locating technically and professionally qualified individuals to take these positions.
The five appointees, according to Babauta, would be compensated above the salary ceiling of $50,000.
The governor said that based on their respective contracts, Jordan will receive $100,000; Pua, $48,000; Taitano, $65,000; and Turner, $78,000.
Turner’s salary as stated in the governor’s letter is different from the rate stated in his independent contract which is $88,000.
Hofschneider and Stanley T. Torres, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said the House is unlikely to agree with the proposal of the Senate to sanction the salaries of employees in the past and present administrations that are above the cap.
Recently, Senate Vice President Jose M. Dela Cruz, D-Tinian, said the Legislature was already “pretty close” in resolving the salary cap issue.
He said he was optimistic that it would be resolved as they were communicating with House Floor Leader Jesus T. Attao, R-Saipan, and convincing the House that “we may have to certify everybody.”
But Torres said: “I don’t believe that the House will go along with what the Senate thinks. What they adopt in the Senate will officially go to the House. We will go over it and either ignore or reject it.”
The speaker said: “We will stick with our original decision of not giving blanket sanction to employees of the present administration.”
