The CPA board met on Friday to discuss the hiring of Camacho, who is asking for a $170,000 salary or $100,000 more than what his predecessors received.
The board also asked its legal counsel to look into the issues of conflict of interest involving Camacho whose engineering firm has an ongoing contract with CPA.
Variety learned that Camacho’s acceptance of the job will depend on whether the governor will exempt the acting executive director from the salary cap law.
The governor appointed Camacho on Aug. 25.
“I know that there is a cap but I was told there is an exemption that may be applied to professionals like the doctors and engineers,” Camacho told Variety yesterday. “It is premature to say at this time if I will accept it or not, pending the legal counsel’s opinion.”
Camacho is the president and owner of EFC Engineers & Architects which has been doing business with CPA for 29 years.
But he said his company only has one active project with CPA — for the Tinian airport — and it is scheduled for completion at the end of this month.
Camacho said he accepted the appointment because there are “no more new projects.”
But he said it is not only his salary issue that is being deliberated by the CPA board.
“I am not privy to disclose those matters and by (today), everything will be finalized,” he added.
According to Camacho, CPA needs help and “I believe I am at this point in my life that I can be of help to the agency and the community. This will be my first time to fill a government position.”
In a separate interview, CPA Chairman Joe Lifoifoi said: “We cannot let Camacho hanging in there. There’s a need to have a solid decision on his appointment. The board will deliberate [today] on the legal counsel’s findings and recommendations.”
