“If we find a sister city, we should invite them here, not us going there,” he said.
Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela has made several off-island trips, visiting China, South Korea, India, and other countries to sign “sister-city” agreements that, he claimed, will “attract” more investors and tourists to the island.
However, since 2002, the first year of Tudela’s term, the tourist arrival rate has declined and the local economy has yet to improve.
Data from the Department of Finance showed that the travel expenses of the Saipan Mayor’s Office reached $63,831 in 2005, $28,634 in 2006, $48,348 in 2007, and $50,940 in 2008.
The office of the mayor’s travel spending of $53,256 for the first six months of 2009 has already surpassed last year’s figure.
So far, the total cost of the travels since 2005 is $245,000.
Variety has yet to obtain the figures from 2002 to 2004.
Villagomez said the mayor’s office should not spend a lot of money on travels.
“We’re not rich like Los Angeles and Las Vegas,” he added.
He said the mayor’s office has limited funding and should prioritize the delivery of basic services to the community.
“Mayor Tudela has spent over quarter of a million dollars in the last four years on travels, and he’s saying he has no money to build a dog shelter — look at Tinian; they were able to build a shelter for $10,000, but Mayor Tudela says he needs at least $120,000,” Villagomez said.
Asked for comment, the mayor yesterday said he had not seen the report from the Department of Finance regarding his travel expenses.
He added, however, that the next mayor “should be more thankful that I was able to establish sister-city relationships.”
He said “many investors have visited Saipan” because of his efforts.
“I am helping the economy not only of Saipan but the whole CNMI. I am hoping the next mayor will continue this program and strengthen these relationships,” he added.
He said he traveled upon the invitation of foreign officials who wanted to “see me so they can be more acquainted with, and discuss profoundly, the needs on Saipan.”
He admitted though that not all of his travels were paid for by the host cities
Tudela said it is part of the mayor’s job to invite investors so “we have to establish good relationship with other countries.”
