Initial municipal budget projection indicated a collection of $2 million to $3.2 million.
The previous year’s figure was $3.9 million, of which 50 percent came from casino revenues.
Nearly a hundred employees at the mayor’s office were affected by the work-hour reduction implemented in fiscal year 2008.
But the employees of the casino commission and the municipal treasury, although funded also by local revenues, continue to work full-time or 80 hours biweekly compared to the 72-hour schedule imposed on the personnel of the mayor’s office.
The island’s legislative delegation vice chairman, Sen. Henry H. San Nicolas, Covenant-Tinian, said this is “unfair.”
“We’re still looking at the numbers,” he said. “What we may do this time is to distribute the allocation equally because at present, it’s only the mayor’s office that is being affected by the work-hour reduction.”
He said “if there are some cuts to be considered in FY 2009 they have to be across-the-board which will include all personnel funded by local revenues.”
The Tinian legislative delegation has yet to pass a budget for fiscal year 2009, which started on Oct. 1.
San Nicolas said there are three new casino operators on island, but they are still in the initial stages of development.
He believes that only new direct flights to the island can help Tinian’s economy at this time.
“We will seriously look at the numbers and the priority areas of appropriation,” he said. “And if there’s a cut on expenditures, we will begin looking at the supplies and other non-essential areas prior to sacrificing the employment of our people on Tinian.”
The last time the delegation enacted a local budget was in 2006.
