Fitial raises own office, lawmakers’ budgets

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial raised his office’s budget by 32 percent and slightly gave more to individual lawmakers’ discretionary funding and their leadership accounts, but gave less to other agencies such as the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Under Fitial’s $102-million fiscal year 2013 budget that he submitted to the Legislature on Friday, his office’s budget will be $954,375, up from $720,779.

The governor also increased by 7 percent the budget of Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos’ office, from $662,287 to $706,793.

The governor’s proposal gives $32.4 million to the Executive Branch, an increase of $4.1 million from the current year’s $28.3 million.

Each of the 29 lawmakers will have $78,780 in discretionary funds, up by $780 compared to what’s given in the FY 2012 budget law.

The House and Senate leadership accounts also increased slightly to $139,380 compared to $138,000 in the current fiscal year.

The Legislative Bureau’s budget was cut from $1.44 million to only $1.01 million. The CNMI Youth Congress also got a decrease from $41,167 to $33,223.

Overall, the governor cut the Legislature’s budget to $5.1 million, from $5.4 million.

His budget proposal for the Judiciary remains the same at $4 million.

Rota and Northern Islands got cuts, while Tinian was almost the same but Saipan got a slight boost.

MVA’s budget will be $2.125 million, slightly down from $2.175 million.

Northern Marianas College’s budget is down to $5.189 million, from $5.228 million.

However, Fitial said NMC and the Public School System will receive money from transitional worker fees amounting to $1.5 million.

PSS’ budget remains the same at $29.5 million under Fitial’s proposal.

The Board of Education’s budget stays at $175,393.

Of the $120.67 million in gross budgetary resources, $46.2 million is from business gross revenue tax; $35.3 million from income taxes; $26.7 million from other taxes; $7.42 million from fees; $2.45 million from charges for services; and $2.6 million from other revenues.

The governor’s budget submission also has six austerity measures, still including 16-hour cuts, reorganization at the Department of Public Works and contribution of $2.25 million as subsidy to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.

This $2.25 million has been allocated to CHC as a contribution in the form of a state match for purposes of Medicaid reimbursements. This allocation, if spent, will generate up to $5 million in Medicaid reimbursements, federal and local shares combined.

Fitial’s previous budget gave CHC seed money of $5 million.

The governor gives $10 million to the NMI Retirement Fund.

Fitial said in FY 2012, the Legislature appropriated $810,000 for educational assistance. Under his new budget, he’s proposing an increase of $705,000 for a total of $1.515 million.

The governor also urged lawmakers to pass revenue-generating bills, adding that the government needs almost $7 million to lift the austerity measures in 2013.