David Mundo Apatang
Recently, the mayor said he officiated a wedding at a house because one of the two persons getting married was terminally ill.
He said he has also officiated weddings at the hospital.
“Those are the humanitarian things that we do for our people,” he added.
Apatang said he has no plan to increase the marriage license and related fees.
For residents, the ceremony fee is $30; the marriage license application fee is $50; the documentation fee is $25; and a copy of a marriage license costs $25.
For non-residents, the ceremony fee is $75; marriage license application, $125; documentation, $25; and copy of marriage license, $25.
As for same-sex marriages, the mayor said most of the couples are from China.
The mayor said the number of same-sex marriages on Saipan has been increasing since they were legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015.
In fiscal year 2018, his office officiated 529 marriages of which 29 percent were for same-sex couples.
In fiscal year 2019, his office issued 619 marriage licenses of which 41 percent were for same-sex couples.
