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Saipan mayor settles Lib-Day debts
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Posted on Aug 28 2000
The Saipan Mayor’s office has settled its financial obligations incurred from past celebrations of Liberation Day, including a car that was raffled off as part of the prizes last year.
“They have all been paid those items billed to the mayor’s office. The others are taken care by the Liberation Day Committee,” said Mayor Jose C. Sablan.
He declined to provide details of the payment or how much money were involved, but said that his office paid for both the 1999 and this year’s July 4th celebrations.
The mayor also disclosed that he had reached an out-of-court settlement with Joeten Motors over the $5,000 that the office had owed for a brand new car which had been given away as a prize at the 1999 Liberation Day festivities.
All these funds came from appropriations passed by the Saipan legislative delegation last month, earmarking $171,700 from revenues collected from bingo, batu and cockfight fees on the island.
According to Mr. Sablan, the municipality received the money only recently after finance officials questioned use of the funds as they were not specified in the appropriation law.
Aside from prior debts, the money were earmarked for the purchase of parts, equipment rental fees and heavy equipment for the municipality, as well as for fuel and lubrication, a phone system for the new heavy equipment field operation office of the mayor’s office at Lower Base, replacement for Mr. Sablan’s cellular phone, vehicle lease, repair and maintenance.
The municipal government has been experiencing budget shortfall in recent months because of the cut imposed by the Tenorio administration.
Mr. Sablan said he is hoping that lawmakers will set aside a bigger budget for the municipality in the next fiscal year, noting the need to repair and maintain several secondary roads on Saipan as well as water delivery services to residents.
