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CPA incurs $2.4M shortfall in utilities expenses
The Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors has approved a supplemental budget of $2.4 million to cover the shortfall for the utility expenses of the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.
In an interview with Saipan Tribune shortly after the CPA’s board meeting last Friday, board financial affairs committee chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds said the supplemental budget is intended to cover the cost of the airport’s utilities incurred in the past couple of months.
Kimberlyn-Hinds said CPA and the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. continue to negotiate their ongoing billing dispute on utilities, to include water and power as well as other issues contemplated in the settlement agreement.
The supplemental funding request will be funded by airport gross revenue funds.
According to CPA’s supplemental budget request certified by comptroller Skye Lynn L. Aldan Hofschneider, from October 2017 to July 2018, the airport’s electrical, water and sewer total expenses reached $4,212,097.34.
The estimated August and September 2018 total billing is $842,419.47. This brings utility expenses for that period to $5,054,516.81.
With its fiscal year 2018 budget for utilities only at $2,629,440, CPA incurred a shortfall of $2,425,076.81.
