GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios on Friday last week signed into law House Local Bill 23-7, which appropriates $52,500 in poker license fee collections for Rota’s unpaid mayor’s office employees, medical referral patients and community programs.
Authored by Rep. Julie Marie A. Ogo, H.L.B. 23-7 is now Rota Local Law 23-5.
The following funds are allotted by the new law:
1) $17,270 for 25 Rota Mayor’s Office employees who were not paid their salaries for two pay periods in December 2022. They are no longer employed but the mayor’s office owes them their unpaid salaries.
2) $20,700 for Rota medical subsistence allowance.
3) $9,250 for the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ manamko’ travel cost to Saipan.
4) $5,280 for the Rota Legislative Delegation to fund military medical services on the island.
Also on Friday, the governor transmitted to the Legislature H.L.B. 23-6 which became Tinian Local Law 23-2 pursuant to the override of his veto by the House of Representatives on May 10, and by the Senate on May 16, 2023.
The local bill re-appropriates a total of $62,518 in leftover gambling monies appropriated in previous Legislatures.
The governor vetoed the local bill after Finance informed him that the money had already been transmitted to Tinian.
It turned out, however, that Finance was referring to different funds. Following the governor’s veto, Tinian Municipal Treasurer Maria Barbara C. Borja issued a certification of local funds availability for the appropriation. This allowed the House and Senate to override the governor’s veto.
Julie Ogo
