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Budget of three agencies kept intact
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Posted on Nov 15 2004
The conference committee tackling the fiscal year 2005 budget has approved to keep the budget of three agencies at the 2003 level. This includes the Judiciary, which has a budget of a little over $5 million; the Legislature, $3.9 million; and Legislative Bureau, $2.1 million; and the Washington Representative Office, $1.7 million.
The House earlier cut the WRO funding to $1.3 million and the Judiciary to just $4.9 million.
The lower chamber earlier raised the legislative branch budget to $8.9 million, while the upper chamber raised it to $9 million.
“We’re using the Senate version with minor amendments,” said committee co-chair Sen. Joseph Mendiola.
On the legislative budget, he said the committee adopted a House provision mandating that retirement contributions of its employees be remitted to the NMI Retirement Fund within 10 days.
Mendiola said the committee hopes to finish the budget discussion by Wednesday next week.
He said the “big issues” for discussion in the coming days are the funding for Public School System, Public Health, and Public Safety.
Meanwhile, acting Gov. Diego T. Benavente said it is important that the government gets a new budget amid a projection of additional revenues during the fiscal year.
“In a year like now where we are anticipating a little bit more, we need more money to be allocated for government needs, and if the Legislature holds that, that just means that you’re denying the Commonwealth [the chance] to use some of those additional funds,” Benavente said.
He said the government would become “more accountable” with a new budget.
The administration had originally submitted a $226-million budget, some $13 million of which were contingent on the passage of the Integrated Fiscal Proposal—an increase in some fees and taxes.
The House had rejected this and approved only $212.7 million for FY05. The Senate then amended this and raised the funding level to $217.7 million, taking into consideration some $5.1 million in new revenue projections identified by the administration.
