Apatang: We urge committee to study all options

Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang has come out in cautious support of the bill that would allow the sitting administration to appoint a mayor should the need arise.

In his comments on the bill last May 15, Apatang said he supports the bill’s intent to speed up and simplify the process of appointing a new mayor but he would like to urge the committee to study the possibility of a negative outcome.

According to Apatang, filling a mayoral vacancy can be viewed as a sensitive subject since mayors are politically elected.

He pointed out the possibility of a prolonged selection process and confirmation process if a mayor whose affiliation with a political party is different from a sitting governor and majority members of the Senate who must be replaced because of an untimely death or incapacitation.

Senate Bill 20-79 (SD2) states that if a vacancy were to arise in any office of the mayor and less than half of the term of the mayor remains, the governor is given the power to fill the vacancy with any individual he chooses that is qualified for the position with the consent of the Senate.

The amendment made to the bill voids the option to appoint the first runner up in the previous election.

Apatang said the idea of appointing the mayoral candidate with the second highest amount of votes should not be overlooked.

“The offices of the mayors are a very important component in protecting the safety, health and welfare of the public…Because mayors are elected by the people, there is an underlying significance in committing to the wishes of the voting public…the assumption of a mayor’s office by the second highest vote getter in the senatorial district…should be given to that candidate,” he stated.

Apatang also stated in his comments that he is aware that the bill was drafted to ensure that what happened with the Northern Islands Municipality is not repeated, where the staff of the late mayor was let go for not supporting him during elections, but there are still considerations to be made in regards to the bill.

“There is no assurance that any new mayor will decide to staff his or her office with staff of the late mayor and that the incident related to the former, late mayor of the Northern Islands in 2017 will not be repeated. The bill is not an assurance…a new mayor who assumes office and finds a staff that supported a mayor whose political affiliation was different from his/hers will be pressed to retain the same staff that did not support him/her,” he wrote.

The bill is currently with the Senate and is still under discussion.