Except for “important missions” to convince investor to come to Tinian, the mayor said he has seldom traveled.
“I didn’t allocate any money for my travel,” he said, adding that instead of traveling from Tinian to Saipan he usually conducted meetings through teleconference.
He was on Saipan as one of the Liberation Day parade grand marshals.
According to Dela Cruz, his office reduced personnel from 200 to less than 100.
“I can’t continue to hire people without money,” he said.
He admitted their operation has been affected despite some retirees and youth volunteers providing free services, especially for cleanup operations.
Dela Cruz said some of their personnel have to work extra hours without pay.
The Tinian municipal government has a $4.2 million budget for fiscal year 2011 but it is anticipating a $200,000 deficit.
“You go to store with a $500 credit card but you spend $600 — that’s what happening now,” Dela Cruz said.
It is not permissible to operate the municipal government at a deficit but “it’s an allowable problem,” he added.
He said he asked the central government to allow the municipal government to incur a deficit.
The medical referral program, he noted, was not budgeted.
Dela Cruz said he told Gov. Benigno R. Fitial in a letter to allow the Tinian Health Center to run a deficit because there were a lot of unanticipated emergencies.
The governor is assisting Tinian, the mayor said.
He said he is closely working with the central government to resolve the problem.
“But you know in times like this when we don’t have enough money, difficulty will spread around,” he added.
He is hoping that the economy will rebound soon so the people will have a better life again.
