IN his revised fiscal year 2023 budget submission, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres proposes to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay government employees’ within grade increases and restore 20% of their work hours.
Aside from the locally generated net budgetary resources, which the governor’s projections raised to $104.3 million from $101.3 million, the revised budget submission also includes changes to his ARPA spending plan.
In his initial budget submission on April 1, the governor allotted a total of $16 million in ARPA monies for the central government.
He told Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez and Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider of his intent to use ARPA funds to restore 20% of the government employees’ work hours that had been taken away from them due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, the employees’ retirement and health insurance employer contributions “will…be factored in the ARPA spending plan.”
In his revised submission on Friday, the governor also proposed to use ARPA monies to fund “an additional one-step within grade increase for all qualified civil service employees.”
He likewise allotted $400,000 in ARPA funds to the Northern Marianas Sports Association to support athletes who will participate in the next Pacific Mini Games and Micronesian Games, and $1.25 million to Northern Marianas College. Of the allocation for NMC, $250,000 will go to its Proa Promise Initiative, a scholarship program that will pay for the cost of tuition and mandatory fees not covered by the Pell grant, federal financial aid, CNMI Scholarship, Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance, Tinian Municipal and Rota Municipal assistance, military educational benefits or private scholarships.
The governor also indicated that utility expenses for eligible agencies will continue to be covered by ARPA funds.
He said the Department of Finance and the Office of Management and Budget will continue to work on a revised ARPA spending plan that may result in the redistribution of ARPA funding across all agencies.
The governor also urged all members of the Legislature to work closely with his administration to examine and explore new revenue streams for the Commonwealth.
The federal government has provided the CNMI with $481.8 million in ARPA funds, which have been supplementing local revenues for over a year now.
