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1st week of July eyed as target to pass budget
Rep. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota), who chairs the Ways and Means Committee in the House of the Representatives, expects the House to pass a balanced budget for next fiscal year by the first week of July—assuming everything goes as scheduled and as planned.
When asked Saturday for an update on the government’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2022, Manglona also disclosed that they will be proposing how the American Recovery Plan Act funds that the CNMI got should be spent, to include additional requests from agencies.
The committee, which primarily handles the budget process, has already done budget hearings with the municipalities. Manglona said they have almost every government division scheduled for hearings throughout the months of May and June.
He said they are expecting Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to amend his original budget proposal of $144.84 million and the governor has until July 1 to report that to the Legislature. “Right now, we are just going through volume one and four with all the agencies. Keep in mind that volume four is to supplement the shortfall of volume one to meet fiscal year 2019 levels,” he pointed out.
Manglona said what they’re getting from these agencies are whether the current budget proposal is sufficient and if they need additional funds.
“So, that’s where we’re at with the budget. We will wait to see if we get anything by July 1,” he said.
So far, Manglona said, both Rota and Tinian mayors pretty much expressed their support for the governor’s proposal for their municipalities. They do have additional requests, he said, but mostly for other needs such as equipment and infrastructure. “And so that’s something that the committee will take into consideration at this time,” Manglona said.
Last Tuesday, the committee also conducted a hearing with the Saipan Mayor’s Office and Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council, and that both asked for additional funds.
Last April, Torres submitted a proposed budget that identifies a gross budget of $144.84 million, with only over $98 million left for appropriation after deducting debt service payments and NMI Settlement Fund obligations.
