According to the latest draft of the fiscal year 2009 budget bill, offices under the judicial and executive branches will see their spending ceilings reduced by 10.7 to 10.9 percent to ensure that the CNMI government stays within its budget limit of $156.7 million.
The Legislature, however, will get only an 8.7 percent cut. From $7 million, its budget will be down to $6.4 million.
The latest version of House Bill 16-169, or the Appropriations and Budget Authority Act of FY 2009, identified $169.5 million in budget resources.
Of the amount, $7.5 million will be used to pay the government’s debts to different bonds that were floated to finance various public projects.
A total of $3.672 million will be transferred to other funds as mandated by various laws.
An additional $1.7 million will replenish the money taken from the Marianas Public Lands Trust make an initial payment for Aggreko’s generators, leaving the central government $156.7 million to spend.
The Department of Public Lands is separately budgeted for over $3 million.
The new budget version also contains provisions allowing the government to suspend the transfer of the nonresident worker fund fees to Northern Marianas College and the Public School System; 10 percent of gaming jackpot tax to PSS; 10 percent of general fund poker fees to the Human Resources Development Fund; 50 percent to the Retirement Fund; 70 percent of the hotel tax and 25 percent of the alcoholic beverage container tax to the Marianas Visitors Authority; 30 percent of the hotel tax; and 20 percent of the alcoholic beverage container tax to the Retirement Fund.
No reprogramming authority will be granted to Gov. Benigno R. Fitial except for the $62,000 intended for special retirement annuities to cover accumulated shortages in prior allotments.
There will be no salary increases in FY 2009, and the bill will also impose an employment moratorium, including the filling of existing vacated positions, unless they are under exempted categories.
The committee recommended a $3.769 million budget for the judicial branch — down by $452,729 or 10.7 percent less than the original proposed $4.221 million.
Offices under the governor, which were supposed to get $10.923 million, will now get $9.751 million.
The Attorney General’s Office will get $3.6 million instead of $3.98 million.
The Department of Finance will get $5.059 million instead of $5.666 million.
The Department of Lands and Natural Resources’ new funding limit will be $2.8 million, not $3.1 million.
The budgets of the Department of Public Health, $39.491 million, and the Public School System, $38.2 million, will be retained.
But Tinian and Rota’s appropriations will be reduced from $9.6 million each to $8.9 million.
The Department of Public Safety, which has 200 FTEs, will still get $7.5 million to ensure the safety and security in the community.
The Marianas Visitors Authority, however, will get $7 million instead of $7.9 million.
