There is no increase in the number of personnel but the budget proposal is $65,000 higher than the FY 2011 budget which was $279,000.
In his budget submission to the administration and the Legislature, Mayor Tobias DLC. Aldan listed the resettlement of the Northern Islands as the top goal of his office.
He said the FY 2012 budget he requests will enable his office to move ahead with the permanent resettlement plan on Alamagan, Pagan and Agrigan.
These three islands, he added, will be “the center for economic development programs.”
Over the last two years, Aldan said his office has brought some of his constituents back to Pagan and Alamagan. They are now working hard to rebuild their islands, he added.
In October last year, Aldan and his staff brought some Northern Island residents to Alamagan, Agrigan and Pagan. Some residents of Pagan and Agrigan decided to stay there to rebuild their villages, he said.
There are an estimated 28 residents on the three islands. In the 2009 Northern Islands mayoral election, 137 cast their ballots. Almost all of them resided on Saipan.
According to the mayor, seven residents of Pagan, including some of his staffers led by Santiago Castro, built a mayor’s office on the volcanic island.
Made of wood and corrugated iron sheets, the mayor’s office is now 75 percent complete, Aldan said.
Once FY 2012 funds become available, the mayor’s office on Pagan will be completed.
The residents of Agrigan, for their part, restored their houses and other structures and cleaned up the main village, Aldan said.
Residents of both islands have also started planting a variety of seasonal crops and raising livestock to make their community self-sufficient, he added.
The mayor’s budget request includes $251,137 for personnel, including $43,000 for his annual salary; $32,000 for his son Jerome K. Aldan’s salary as program manager; $30,000 for Dwane K. Davis as administrative officer; and $15,000 each for Santiago Castro, Vicente L. Mettao and Jesus C. Santos as the mayor’s representatives on Pagan, Agrigan and Alamagan.
The mayor is also requesting $93,800 for “all others” which include $50,000 for professional services. This will cover the l costs associated with transportation to the Northern Islands, Aldan said.
The ocean vessel charter for the trips, he added, cost $40,000.
“This activity is vital for the gradual resettlement and livelihood of those who now live on the three islands,” Aldan said.
The helicopter or airplane travel cost is $10,000. This is critical for emergency situation, he added.
