“The municipal councils can take care of the municipal governments. Abolishing the offices of mayors will reduce the government’s travel expenses,” he said.
Atalig said he just filed another Open Government Act requesting if the travel of Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz to Saipan to appear in court was paid by the mayor or the government.
Rep. Frederick Deleon Guerrero, Ind.-Saipan, has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to abolish the Saipan mayor’s office.
Atalig, the current “public information officer” of the Department of Public Works, said “the mayor’s office is only good for patching the roads and delivery of corals. They don’t have engineers. They lack personnel to undertake projects.”
The government should get rid of agencies that duplicate functions of other offices, he added.
He said on Saipan, the mayor’s office—or DPW—should be abolished.
But he added that DPW has professional staff, engineers and equipment which the mayor’s office doesn’t have.
In the future, Atalig said, the mayor’s office on Saipan can be reinstated but not this time.
