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CCC asks to be exempted from work-hour cut
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Posted on Mar 12 2020
The Commonwealth Casino Commission will be asking for Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres to consider exempting it from a government-wide work-hour cut because they are not receiving any money from the general fund.
Deleon Guerrero
When asked for comments about the austerity measures, CCC executive director Edward C. Deleon Guerrero pointed out yesterday that the casino commission is a 24-7 operation and, in its own way, is a revenue generating entity.
“We haven’t received word whether we’ll be exempted or not,” said Deleon Guerrero, disclosing yesterday that he is waiting to have a meeting with Torres.
Citing the millions of dollars in revenue loss in fiscal year 2020 from the adverse impact of the coronavirus outbreak and residual effects of Super Typhoon Yutu, the Torres administration announced last month another round of austerity measures that will cut the regular 80 work-hours of government employees to 64 hours starting this Sunday, March 15.
CCC has 47 employees, including Deleon Guerrero and their lawyer.
Deleon Guerrero said that, upon receiving Torres’ instruction to reduce hours, the casino commission submitted a request to the Office of the Governor to be exempted, based on the fact that CCC’s total funding, both personnel and operations, come from the casino regulatory fee.
“This is an enforcement fee. We only receive $1 from the general fund account. So this is not based on projection,” he said.
The executive director said their funding for the full year has already been paid in full back in October 2019.
“So it’s not like revenues being projected. It’s been paid in full. We have the funds,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero said that, in his opinion and based on the emergency declaration, the governor as the chief executive still has the authority to utilize whatever available resources there is to address the emergency.
He said they’re cooperating with the Office of the Governor and asking Torres for his consideration to exempt CCC.
