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OPA seeks $2.57M budget in 2009
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Posted on Mar 30 2008
The Office of the Public Auditor wants a budget of $2.57 million for fiscal year 2009.
This represents a 14-percent cut from OPA’s FY2008 budget request, and 42 percent more than the office may actually get this year.
The budget proposal will allow OPA to hire eight additional personnel. This will bring to 30 the number of people employed by the agency.
Public Auditor Michael S. Sablan said it is critical that the staff positions be filled. Since 2005, OPA has lost 65 percent of its audit staff and 75 percent of its investigative staff. Another manager is expected to quit OPA in May 2008, leaving the agency with only one manager to coordinate all of its audit responsibilities.
“I have held back on filling these critical positions for fiscal austerity reasons. However, the vacancies negatively impact our ability to perform the full services that OPA is mandated to provide,” Sablan said.
OPA plans to hire two managers, promote the current audit staff to senior level positions and hire new auditors, and hire a legal prosecutor and an investigator to its joint public corruption task force with the Office of the Attorney General.
Sablan also reiterated OPA’s proposal to coordinate the single audits of CNMI agencies for which single audits are required. OPA has floated this proposal as far back as 2004.
“If OPA negotiates, supervises, and coordinates these audits, the CNMI government will obtain cost savings as well as improved and consistent audits. The agencies that are included in this budget will no longer have to bear this expense,” he said.
Off-island travel costs will take a cut under OPA’s budget proposal. OPA’s current year budget drastically cut travel by 34 percent the prior fiscal year. The FY2009 budget further cuts travel down to $51,700—or by 24 percent from the FY2008 budget.
According to Sablan, OPA will continue to utilize federal funding for travel whenever possible.
