The House members reached a decision shortly before 8 p.m. They began deliberating on the bill late in the afternoon.
Rep. Victor Hocog, Ind.-Rota and the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, voted against the budget bill, H.B. 16-169, which he sponsored.
Rep. Stanley Torres, R-Saipan, said Hocog didn’t like some of the amendments inserted by his colleagues.
Most of the amendments may also not get the support of the governor.
The cash-strapped government identified over $169 million in projected revenues this FY 2009 which began on Oct. 1.
It will be left with just $156.7 million to spend for the next 12 months after the prorated payments for bonds are taken out, among other government financial obligations.
This time, the House is not going to insert provisions that will require government employees to take pay cuts just like what happened in FY 2007 when austerity holidays, or public offices were shut down every other Friday, to save at least 10 percent in personnel cost.
The salaries of the estimated over 4,000 public servants remain the single biggest expense of the CNMI at over $111 million.
The amount does not include what the 10 autonomous government agencies pay their employees.
Independent government agencies are proposing to spend over $54 million this FY 2009.
