King-Hinds said there are many, who share her belief: that the commissioners should be compensated similar to members of other CNMI boards and commissions.
Each Tinian gaming commissioner gets $75,000 a year and benefits amounting to an additional $25,000.
The Tinian casino law must be amended to reduce the commissioners’ salary.
Ben Borja, a Tinian resident, said he will ask the local leadership to look into the salary of the commissioners considering the state of the economy.
King-Hinds said Tinian will be fortunate to realize $2.3 million in revenue for fiscal year 2011.
The last budget passed by the island’s leadership amounted to $4.9 million, and this was in 2006.
She said given the current level of revenue stream “it would be downright negligent…of the current and future general well-being of Tinian” if the present compensation of $75,000 a year for each commissioner will continue.
Debt service
King-Hinds said 5 percent of the island’s budget should be allocated to debt service.
The municipality of Tinian owes over $1.6 million in Retirement Fund contributions, $1.5 million for the U.S. Geological Survey settlement agreement, over $200,000 to Tinian Dynasty for the 60th World War II anniversary, $26,000 for Northern Marianas College, close to $75,000 owed to vendors by the previous administration, and $520,913 in retroactive salary for 170 municipal employees.
She said these debts were incurred by the previous mayor.
“At the very least, it shows a good faith effort in the municipality’s part that it does take its obligations seriously,” she said.
Borja said the municipal government should allocate funds for the retroactive salary, which was mandated by a 1991 law.
“The retroactive salary is long overdue and some of the workers who are supposed to receive it have already passed away while others are dying and sick,” he added.
He said the administration of Mayor Rey Dela Cruz is trying its best to pay all of the island’s obligations.
King-Hinds said the municipal government will be held accountable for all the liabilities no matter who incurred it.
“If we don’t start addressing what’s on the books now and we are further challenged by compounding interest, penalties and fees from collection lawsuits,” she added.
It’s a good start, but she said the 5 percent for debt service is not fair for those who are owed.
“There should be administrative language in the budget that puts a freeze on non-essential hiring and allocates lapses in personnel to what is owed, specifically to the Retirement Fund,” she added.
Benefits
She said the gaming commission “has duties and responsibilities that must not be hampered and must be given a reasonable budget to fulfill its law-mandated obligations.”
She said the municipal treasury must also be properly funded.
King-Hinds believes that the off-island trips for the gaming commission must be for the training and development of the employees.
The commission, she added, should also hire qualified independent contractors instead of going on fact-finding trips.
“The budgetary process is currently the only opportunity for public citizens to voice their concerns with regards to how the commission allocates its budget,” she said.
She said it is important that the people start participating in the municipal budget hearings.
“The Tinian leadership has a lot of power in deciding how local revenues are prioritized and we the people should be proactive in assisting our leadership in this decisionmaking process by giving our input,” she added.
The scheduled budget hearing last Friday was postponed due to the death of the municipal treasurer, David Maratita.