Chinese community members perform the dragon dance during the Lunar New Year celebration at the construction site of the future Marriot Hotel operated by Honest Profit International in San Antonio. Also in photo are Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, Labor Secretary Leila Staffler, Rep. Roman C. Benavente, right, and local architect Herman Cabrera.
“SOMETIMES, the people themselves, it’s hard to get them to volunteer,” Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said on Wednesday, when asked about the vacancies on government boards and commissions.
On Friday, Senate President Dennis James C. Mendiola urged the governor to collaborate with municipal mayors “to address these vacancies.”
Mendiola also asked the governor to consider measures to streamline the appointment process and limit the number of individuals appointed to specific positions.
The governor’s latest nominee, whom the Senate has yet to confirm, is Bridge Capital Vice President Bart Jackson. He has been nominated to the Commonwealth Ports Authority Board of Directors to fill the seat vacated by Jose C. Ayuyu.
Regarding some of the other board and commission vacancies, particularly the seats for Tinian, the governor said, “We are going to be moving forward. I have asked several leaders, including the Tinian mayor, to give me some names.”
But he also acknowledged that “sometimes it’s difficult to get people to serve on boards and commissions, really. It requires a lot of qualifications. Some of the statutes require certain qualifications. And sometimes, the people themselves, it’s hard to get them to volunteer. These are voluntary jobs,” Palacios said.
As for the appointment of a new public auditor, he said, “Yeah. I’ve been trying to find somebody locally. Obviously, it is almost a thankless job. But we are looking to get some people interested in it. If not, we are probably going to put out an announcement.”
The previous public auditor, Kina B. Peter, resigned in May 2022.
