THE Commonwealth Casino Commission has 15 employees left, its executive director, Andrew Yeom said during a meeting last week.
The commission began sending termination letters to 25 employees in late June “due to budget constraints.”
Last week, Yeom told the commissioners that “after all of these terminations/separations and some minor urgent rescindments, we are now down to 15 employees excluding the legal counsel as of today, August 26, 2021.”
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic last year, the commission had more than 50 employees in its five divisions: Permit & Licensing, Enforcement & Investigations, Audit, Compliance, and Administrative Services.
The commission is funded by the $3 million regulatory fee that exclusive license holder Imperial Pacific International can no longer afford to pay.
The commission does not get funding from the CNMI general fund, and is not eligible to receive a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act funds provided by the U.S. government to the Commonwealth.
In his monthly report, Yeom provided the commissioners with an update on the commission’s budget. According to his report, in July 2021, the commission’s expenses totaled $190,145, and 77.25% of this amount was spent on personnel wages. There were three payrolls in July.
“Unfortunately, furlough is not an option for us as an autonomous agency as per [the] AG’s office, thus this termination. It is sad and unfortunate, but a decision had to be made to smartly and cost effectively defend the Commonwealth against any present and future legal challenges,” Yeom told the commissioners in his report.
Commonwealth Casino Commission Executive Director Andrew Yeom speaks to lawmakers during a meeting with the House Gaming Committee in July.
