Previous Story
$110K Tinian retroactive pay released on Valentine’s Day
Acting governor Jude U. Hofschneider announced yesterday the release of over $110,000 in partial retroactive salary payments to 125 former and current Tinian government employees on Valentine’s Day, in time for the popular 10th Tinian Hot Pepper Festival the following day.
“It is great to finally address this obligation and return what is owed to our people,” Hofschneider said in a statement along with Gov. Eloy S. Inos, announcing the partial payments.
With the latest partial payment of over $110,000, there is still an estimated $200,000 yet to be paid, according to Sen. Frank Cruz (R-Tinian) yesterday.
“The government will continue to find ways to complete the payments,” Cruz told Saipan Tribune.
Cruz said that based on information he got, many employees got some $500 and $800 each from last week’s partial payment.
The CNMI government still owes employees payments for salary scale adjustments under Public Law 7-31.
Hofschneider said the Feb. 14 partial payment was made possible through the fiscal year 2014 budget law, along with funding from Tinian local revenue.
The Tinian municipal budget comes from revenues generated from the casino industry on island, which so far has only Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.
“I would like to thank [Tinian] Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz, the Tinian Delegation and the Tinian leadership, the Department of Finance, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of Personnel Management for their assistance with this effort. I am sure that our affected employees are thankful as well,” added Hofschneider, who will remain acting CNMI governor until Feb. 28 when Gov Eloy S. Inos returns from a series of official meetings in Washington, D.C.
