By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE administration cannot identify the Public School System’s $4.9 million in unrestricted funds because it is not new money earned in the current fiscal year, Rep. Blas Jonathan Attao said on Tuesday.
Attao raised the issue during the discussion of Gov. David M. Apatang’s communication informing the Legislature of the additional $4.9 million in PSS lapsed funds and the $1 million in net distributable interest income from the Marianas Public Land Trust, which the administration wants to include in the proposed revision of the fiscal year 2026 budget.
In his letter to the Legislature last week, the governor said the PSS lapsed funds and MPLT income — totaling $5.9 million — increase the general revenues available for FY 2026 appropriation from $138.4 million to $144.3 million. He broke down the $5.9 million into the following proposed allotments:
– Public School System – $2.9 million.
– Marianas Visitors Authority – $1 million.
– Rainy Day Fund – $1 million.
– Tinian Mayor’s Office – $500,000.
– Rota Mayor’s Office – $500,000.
But Attao said the $4.9 million cannot be identified by the administration as “new money” because it has already been appropriated. He said it lapsed in the PSS account because the autonomous agency relied on federal funds at the time to meet its needs. He added that many of the local appropriations for PSS were remitted later in the fiscal year, which was why those funds lapsed.
House Bill 24-70, which Attao authored and has been transmitted for Senate legislative review, would allow PSS to use its $4.9 million in lapsed funds.
“We want to make it very clear that we cannot adjust the budget by an additional $4.9 million because that money is not new money collected within this fiscal year,” Attao said.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
