THE Rota Casino Gaming Commission wants Gov. Arnold I. Palacios to veto House Bill 23-61, which would appropriate $155,000 in casino license fee collection, saying it “intrudes upon the Commission’s independent authority” to allocate funds.
Last week, in her letter to the Rota Legislative Delegation chairman, Senate Vice President Donald M. Manglona, RCGC Chairwoman Viola Hocog-Atalig expressed “deep disappointment” with the delegation’s recent passage of H.L.B. 23-61.
“We respectfully urge the governor to veto H.L.B 23-61,” she said. “Additionally, we call upon the delegation to address this matter by revising the proposed legislation to restore the Commission’s rightful authority. Funds allocated to an independent body must be managed in alignment with its needs and operational goals, with spending authority residing with its Chairperson as intended by the law. Any deviation undermines trust and gives the impression of external interference in the Commission’s integrity,” she added.
Hocog-Atalig said they “find it unacceptable to grant veto power to the Rota Municipal Treasurer over the Commission’s decisions on how to allocate and utilize its funds. Likewise, the Delegation’s actions in dictating specific amounts to be spent on staffing, training, and travel undermine the autonomy and responsibilities granted to the Commission under the Rota Casino Act of 2007.”
Hocog-Atalig said H.L.B. 23-61 intrudes “upon the Commission’s independent authority, raising concerns about potential micromanagement and encroachment on its essential duties.”
She reminded Manglona that the role of the delegation is to approve funding requests, “not to assume control over the Commission’s operational decisions.”
She said delegating fund allocation to the municipal treasurer “further diminishes the intended independence of the Commission and sets a troubling precedent.”
She said it is stipulated in the Rota Casino Act that the Commission is responsible for determining its operational priorities and expenditures. Authority over the use of Commission funds, she added, “should remain with the chairperson and the majority of its members, not with external entities.”
“By overriding this structure, the delegation’s actions risk compromising the integrity and efficiency of the Commission’s operations,” Hocog-Atalig said.
She said the RCGC remains committed to fostering cooperation to improve Rota’s economy, “but this must be achieved while respecting established processes and ensuring the Commission’s independence.”
Variety was unable to get a comment from Rota lawmakers.
Authored by Rep. Julie Marie Ogo, H.L.B. 23-61 appropriates $155,000 in casino license fees collected by the Commission from the IH Group two months ago, as follows:
1) $105,000 for RCGC personnel salaries, including fringe benefits.
2) $15,000 for RCGC operations, equipment, and supplies.
3) $15,000 for RCGC training expenses.
4) $10,000 for RCGC’s legal counsel.
5) $10,000 as an initial deposit in a special account for payments owed, including fringe benefits, to current and past RCGC members.
