FINANCE Secretary David DLG Atalig, acting Commonwealth Medicaid Agency Director Vicenta Borja and acting Special Assistant for Management and Budget Cherese Palacios are scheduled to discuss the fiscal year 2023 budget with members of the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee.
For its part, the House Ways and Means Committee has issued Atalig a subpoena duces tecum for documents pertaining to government expenditures of local funds and American Rescue Plan Act monies.
As of Sunday, the Finance secretary had yet to respond, according to the committee chairman, Rep. Donald Manglona.
Manglona said Atalig has until Monday, Sept. 12, to respond to the committee’s subpoena duces tecum.
Senate budget hearing
The Senate Fiscal Affairs committee’s budget hearing is set for Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m., in the Senate chamber.
This will be the third budget hearing that the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee will conduct a week after the House unanimously passed House Bill 22-116 appropriating $109.7 million in projected local revenues for FY 2023. It also proposes to allot a total of $52.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act monies for the new fiscal year which starts on Oct. 1, 2022.
In his memorandum on Friday, the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chairman, Sen. Victor B. Hocog urged agencies and members of the public to submit written comments to his office.
The Fiscal Affairs Committee held budget hearings on Tinian on Sept. 6, and on Rota on Sept. 8, regarding their respective municipality budgets.
H.B. 22-116 proposes $1.6 million for Tinian, and $1.8 million for Rota.
The other members of the Fiscal Affairs committee are Senate Vice President Justo S. Quitugua, Sen. Frank Q. Cruz, Sen. Karl King-Nabors and Senate Floor Leader Vinnie F. Sablan.
FY 2023 starts on Oct. 1, 2022. There will be a partial government shutdown if no new and balanced budget is enacted into law before that date.
