HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Sen. Chris Barnett, chair of the legislative committee overseeing public safety, said he will meet with Guam Police Department Chief Stephen Ignacio on issues regarding the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, including the matter of $600,000 in American Rescue Plan funding allocated to the commission, an issue raised by Sen. Telo Taitague.
The POST Commission is responsible for setting the standards for the certification and training of peace officers on Guam.
In a letter sent to Barnett last week, Taitague requested an oversight hearing on the POST Commission, expressing concerns with the $600,000 allocation and the decision to create a paid executive director position at the commission.
“While this organization plays a vital role in the development and direction of our public safety workforce, I am concerned about the significant amount of resources received or obligated from American Rescue Plan funds,” Taitague wrote.
“The POST Commission has, since its inception and implementation, functioned on a minimal budget utilizing a combination of resources, including meeting facilities provided by the Guam Community College. Additionally, I was surprised to learn at our most recent Special Economic Services Meeting held on July 19, 2023, that the commission is creating a paid executive director position,” she added.
‘Greater level of public transparency’
Taitague stated that while she believed the executive director position could benefit the commission, she added that she thought it pertinent for commission members, and possibly members of the governor’s administration, to explain the need for the position and the funding it will require.
“I make it clear now: I do not wish to reduce funding or resources for the commission, nor is my request for this oversight hearing an affront to the POST Commission’s leadership,” Taitague wrote.
According to Taitague, the Legislature should also call into question what rules or regulations governed the creation of the executive director role, and whether it was properly noticed to the public.
“I simply believe there must be a greater level of public transparency regarding the POST Commission’s creation of paid positions and their need for more than $600,000 in American Rescue Plan funds. Considering the growing list of critical needs for which our government struggles to meet daily, every allocation of resources must be diligently scrutinized,” she added.
In a press release published along with her letter, Taitague’s office stated that lawmakers were told during a recent Special Economic Services Meeting that the fiscal year 2022 audit has not been completed and, without that audit, lawmakers would be entering budget talks for next fiscal year without a clear picture of the government’s finances.
“Sen. Taitague urges her colleagues to remain cautious about government spending and has written to the chairman of the Legislature’s Committee on Public Safety requesting an oversight hearing, raising concerns about the future sustainability of increased funding for the POST Commission,” the release stated.
Sens. Chris Barnett, left, and Thomas Fisher talk together as Bill 65-37 is discussed during session Monday, July 24, 2023, at the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña.
