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Rota asks for higher budget
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Posted on Apr 10 2001
Rota Mayor Benjamin T. Manglona is asking the Tenorio Administration for a higher budget ceiling due to what he said was the need to meet increasing operational expenditures.
“For the last three years, our budget level has become stagnant while costs of operation continue to escalate. Employees continue to receive their annual five percent within grade increase,” said Mr. Manglona.
He pointed out that a limited number of employees have been classified or promoted while a large number are awaiting reclassification and promotion due to the amount of responsibility and level of work performed.
In a letter to Special Assistant for Management and Budget Edward Tenorio, the mayor cited the need to attach his original budget request to the proposed Fiscal Year 2002 funding package submitted to the Legislature.
Mr. Manglona was asking for $19.020 million funding for financial year 2002, higher by more than $5.5 million from the administration’s $13.5 million budget ceiling.
“Do this by way of stating your disposition of our preferred and higher budget request. The lawmakers can then clearly see our different approaches,” he told Mr. Tenorio.
According to the mayor, 13.41 percent of the $15.563 million funding allotted to Rota in 1998 under Public Law 11-41 has been consistently withheld.
Mr. Manglona also mentioned that resident directors were given a salary of $45,000 per year in 1998, to bring them at par with their Saipan counterparts. “However, three years later, these hardworking directors still have not received this salary because of restrictions imposed on the approved budget and the continuing resolution.”
He stressed that it will be difficult for the local government to operate at the same funding level for three years when certain employees’ salaries have increased, many positions are filled and costs of operations continue to escalate.
“I believe this budget submission of $19,020,300 is justified since the FY 1998 approved budget was $15,563,100 and we have major accomplishments within the last three years,” he told Mr. Tenorio.
