“What caused this $206,000 shortfall?” he asked. “Has there been an increase in personnel? How did this happen?”
House Committee on Commerce and Tourism Chairman Joseph C. Reyes, R-Saipan, said the shortfall was created by the enactment of the fiscal year 2009 budget law.
House Bill 16-243 allows MVA to reprogram $206,000 from its operation budget to fund its payroll.
“Without that reprogramming, MVA will lose 15 of its [35] personnel for the rest of FY 2009 [starting on June 1],” Reyes said. FY 2009 ends on Sept. 30.
Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee Chairwoman Maria T. Pangelinan, in a separate interview, said the FY 2009 budget bill was not enacted until March 9 when lawmakers finally overrode the governor’s veto.
FY 2009 began on Oct. 1, 2008, and for the following six months, MVA was operating at a higher funding level, said Pangelinan, D-Saipan.
“That’s the problem with not having an annual budget,” she added.
Before the House voted on H.B. 16-243, Hocog implied that MVA Managing Director Perry Tenorio knew that lawmakers would allow his agency to reprogram the needed funds.
Yet, Hocog added, Tenorio still went ahead and notified his employees about a possible “reduction in force.”
“I’m disappointed that MVA used our constituents [who then] called us in the middle of the night to ask us to support this bill,” said Hocog, Ind.-Rota. “Don’t do that in the future,” he told Tenorio.
The MVA official, who was in the House gallery, said he did not intend to disrespect the Legislature.
Rep. Diego T. Benavente, R-Saipan, defended Tenorio, saying that MVA was required by law to issue those notices to its employees.
“I also received those calls from [MVA employees], but there’s no attempt to pressure us,” Benavente added.
Tenorio said the reduction in force notice was based on the assumption that “we couldn’t get the budget we need, and we’re hoping to avoid that situation. [Otherwise] we will make the needed adjustments.”
After the session, Tenorio approached Hocog and assured the lawmaker that MVA did not ask its employees to call legislators.
“But they still called me,” Hocog replied.
Passed by a 17-0 vote, H.B. 16-243 now heads to the Senate which is also expected to approve it.
