GOVERNOR Juan N. Babauta has lifted the salary cap for an official and an employee of the Office of the Governor and another official of the Division of Environmental Quality.
In three separate letters to the Legislature, Babauta informed Senate President Paul A. Manglona, R-Rota, and House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider, R-Saipan, that he has certified the salary rates of the following individuals:
Francisco I. Taitano, the governor’s special assistant for customs and quarantine, will receive an annual salary of $60,000, which is $10,000 more than the salary cap for the position.
Celina R. Babauta, the governor’s secretary, will receive a yearly salary of $45,000 which exceeds the salary cap for secretaries by $15,000.
Juan I. Castro, DEQ director, will receive $55,000 which is $5,000 more than the salary cap.
Earlier, the governor raised the salary rate for Robert J. Schwalbach, his senior policy advisor, to $65,000 or $15,000 higher than the salary cap.
The governor invoked 1 CMC 8250 (c) in raising the salaries of these individuals.
A provision in the law states that “if the governor certifies to the presiding officers of the Legislature and the chairman of the Civil Service Commission that after a diligent effort, the commonwealth is unable to recruit a professionally or technically qualified person to take an appointed position, he or she may wave the salary ceiling established by law for that position.”
In the same letters, the governor assured the leaders of the Legislature that “continuing appropriations are available” for Taitano and Babauta’s increase in salary rates.
For Castro’s salary, the governor said “continuing federal funds through an annual grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are available for the full personnel costs associated with this.”
