HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Another measure has been added to the growing list of bills seeking to utilize fiscal year 2024 general fund excess revenues.
Bill 231-37, introduced by Speaker Therese Terlaje, would appropriate $1.5 million from fiscal 2024 excess to the Department of Chamorro Affairs for the construction of the Nåftan Mañaina-ta Shrine, meant to house CHamoru ancestral remains unearthed from various locations on Guam.
According to the findings and intent of Bill 231, the shrine was mandated in 2016 to be built at Ypao Point, due to the location’s significance as the only site where CHamorus won a battle against Spaniards in the Spanish-Chamorro wars.
The Guam Legislature appropriated funding for the design, development and construction of the Nåftan Mañaina-ta Shrine in 2018. Now, with the Guam State Historic Preservation Office having released the plan for the shrine, Bill 231 states that it intends to fund the completion of the project.
The measure, as first published on the Legislature’s website, contains a typographical error. The title of the bill appropriates money to the Department of Parks and Recreation, while the body identifies the Department of Chamorro Affairs. The speaker confirmed that the bill’s appropriation is intended to go to Chamorro Affairs, as that department is tasked with completing the project.
Other bills
However, Bill 231 isn’t the only measure Terlaje has introduced seeking to use funding from fiscal 2024 general fund excess. She also introduced Bill 225-37, which would appropriate $5 million to the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority to fund a six-step base pay increase for nurses.
But for that bill, Terlaje has suggested reprioritizing any remaining funding from the $30 million appropriated to GMHA late last year as an alternative source to fund the nurse pay bump.
That might prove necessary, as the December Consolidated Revenue and Expenditure Report for the general fund shows only about $5 million in unobligated revenues for fiscal 2024.
That’s because $23.6 million was appropriated from fiscal 2024 funds for the extension of the power credit and gas tax relief programs. The CRER also counts out about $5.5 million as a projected shortfall in the Healthy Futures Fund.
Without the existing funding obligations and projected special fund shortfall, the general fund would actually be seeing about $34.2 million in projected excess for fiscal 2024.
The projected unobligated revenues also don’t bode well for other measures seeking to use the general fund as a funding source.
Bill 208-37 seeks $15.8 million to extend the energy credit program three more months, while Bill 221-37 would appropriate $350,000 to fund a study to convert the former headquarters of the Department of Public Health and Social Services to a workforce annex for Guam Community College.
The Guam Congress Building is seen Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Hagåtña.
