In his budget submission to the Tinian legislative delegation, Mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz allotted $587,573 for his office, $255,978 for the municipal treasurer and $1.1 million for public programs.
Dela Cruz did not appropriate any amount for the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission because he believes it will submit its own budget request.
But the delegation chairman, Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider said like in the previous fiscal year, the projected revenue for FY 2012 will be about $2 million — the exact amount Dela Cruz is requesting.
Hofschneider, R-Tinian, said the mayor’s budget proposal is not final yet since it’s still too early to come up with an exact revenue projection.
The gaming commission, he added, has not submitted its own budget request so they cannot consider Dela Cruz’s submission as “official,” the senator said.
In his letter to the Tinian delegation, Dela Cruz said his submission includes $301,173 for the mayor’s personnel and $250,978 for the treasury’s personnel.
He noted that a substantial amount of the budget will be used to pay Tinian’s outstanding debts, which include the amount owed to the Retirement Fund, vendors and retroactive salaries.
His proposed budget includes funding for the Tinian municipal scholarship and medical referrals, both of which had shortfalls in FY 2011.
“It is also imperative that funds be available for operations to subsidize our departments in the event that the CNMI budget allotments are reduced.
These funds should be prioritized for the Tinian Health Center and the Department of Public Safety to procure fuel, medical supplies, and medical providers,” Dela Cruz told the lawmakers.
Acting gaming commission chairman Ignacio Quichocho declined to comment on the mayor’s local budget request.
