S.B. 16-49, introduced by Sen. Joseph M. Mendiola, Covenant-Tinian, stated that the salaries of resident department heads on Rota and Tinian were disproportionately adjusted when previous laws increased the salaries of judges, attorney general and other government appointees.
These department heads, the bill stated, were never given just compensation for their responsibilities.
According to the bill, these were corrected in the past budget bills but following an oversight during the 15th Legislature, a provision that exceeds the salary ceiling from $36,000 was omitted, thus demoting the department heads in terms of compensation.
Sen. Luis P. Crisostimo, D-Saipan, said the bill, once transmitted to the House of Representatives, “may just collect dust there, like many other Senate bills.”
He suggested that the bill should be attached as rider to the fiscal year 2009 budget bill, which the Senate passed on Tuesday.
But Senate Vice President Felix T. Mendiola, Covenant-Rota, said S.B. 16-49 should stand alone and not included in the budget bill that changes every year.
