Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan
TINIAN Mayor Edwin P. Aldan is asking Finance Secretary Tracy B. Norita to reinstate the island’s imprest account for its Department of Public Safety.
In his letter to Norita, Aldan brought to her attention a critical need concerning the prompt processing of travel authorizations that arises when Tinian DPS conducts warrants of arrest. He said given the nature of these operations, it is crucial that “we facilitate the transport of individuals immediately following an arrest.”
Currently, Aldan said, Tinian DPS seeks assistance from his office to process travel authorizations within 24 hours for arrestees. “However, now that the Mayor’s Office has no remaining American Rescue Plan Act or local funds, we have no choice but to reinstate the imprest fund account for Tinian to allow DPS to comply with their mandated orders.”
Aldan said without the reinstatement of the imprest fund account, Tinian’s DPS will be forced to wait for Saipan to process travel authorizations.
This, he said, will lead to “significant delays and the inability to promptly adhere to legal mandates. By allowing travel authorizations to be processed promptly on Tinian,” he said, “we can ensure immediate transport and compliance with the required timelines.”
The reinstatement of the Tinian imprest account, the mayor said, is crucial for overcoming these operational challenges.
The imprest account was created by Public Law 18-36 or the Judiciary Abandoned Funds Act. The law allows the CNMI government to use certain third-party funds, which have remained unclaimed for more than one year, “to supplement current appropriations for legal services in the Commonwealth.” Under the law, the chief justice or his/her designee is the expenditure authority.
