CPA personnel get across-the-board salary increase

The Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors approved Thursday an across-the-board salary increase for all personnel, including the agency’s top management officials.

The decision was reached after a lengthy closed-door meeting by board members who also voted to renew the employment contracts of executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero and comptroller Derek Sasamoto. The two will each get a $5,000 increase in their salaries.

“After a lengthy discussion [in the executive session] regarding personnel contracts and renewals, the board has agreed to approved the renewal [and adjustment in the salaries of Deleon Guerrero and Sasamoto] provided that an across-the-board increase will also be accorded to the administrative personnel of CPA,” said board member Benigno Sablan in his motion that was later adopted by members.

The board, however, did not cite at the meeting the specific percentage of the merit increase that will be given its other personnel.

Deleon Guerrero’s contract expired last Dec. 13 and was renewed for another term. Saipan Tribune learned that his current salary is $80,000 per annum. He started out at $70,000, when he succeeded former executive director Efrain Camacho.

After Thursday’s five-hour meeting, Deleon Guerrero said he has nothing but good plans for the ports authority. He said he is committed to making the agency a “better CPA.”

For Sasamoto, the board voted to increase his current salary by $5,000, boosting it to $75,000. His contract will expire on March 6; this year marks his second year as CPA comptroller.

Saipan Tribune learned that it was Deleon Guerrero who recommended the increase in Sasamoto’s salary. CPA managed to exceed airport and seaport bond ratio requirements under Sasamoto’s leadership.

Fitch Ratings upgraded its ratings on both CNMI seaport and airport revenue bonds last week. For the airport, rating was positively adjusted from “CCC” to “B-” which means the outlook was upgraded from “negative” to “stable.” For the seaport, Fitch affirmed its “BB-“ rating and upgraded its outlook from “negative” to “stable.” Both upgrades signify that CPA is expected not to have difficulties in paying its debts and that cash flows are enough to cover debt service through its five-year forecast period.

The board learned that Sasamoto greatly assisted the executive director in convincing the Federal Aviation Administration to consider the passenger facility charges revenues as CPA operations revenue, which was key to meeting the federal bond requirements.

Given the many accomplishments that Sasamoto demonstrated, board members said that they had no reservation in approving his salary increase.

The board lauded Sasamoto, Deleon Guerrero, and the CPA management team for a “job well done” in the bond ratio requirements, which for many years have been hard for the CPA to comply with.

Sasamoto told Saipan Tribune that he will continue to work hard and is committed to making CPA a model agency in terms on financial responsibility.

The board also approved the contract renewal of Rota airport manager Thomas Manglona without change to his $50,000 salary.

Last December, the contracts of other managers were renewed, including Saipan ports manager MaryAnn Lizama, Saipan airport manager Ed Mendiola, and Tinian airport manager Joseph Mendiola. They all receive $50,000 per annum.