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Proposed municipal wage system opposed
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Posted on Oct 31 2006
Tinian Mayor Jose P. San Nicolas is strongly opposed to a civil service type wage system for municipal employees and called for the immediate defeat of the bill proposing this.
San Nicolas said that municipal governments should have continued autonomy and the mayors’ expenditure authority over their local business.
“This bill, if enacted, would take over the authority of the mayor and provide for a system wherein employees would owe no particular allegiance or loyalty within a political structure that inherently demands such allegiance and loyalty,” the mayor said.
“Within small jurisdictions such as municipalities of this Commonwealth, especially where there is no large pool of highly and specifically qualified personnel for any particular job category, it is of utmost importance that a mayor be able to select from his available pool of possible employees in order to carry on the daily activities of a smooth running office,” he added.
Authored by Rep. Justo S. Quitugua, House Bill 15-45 seeks to mandate a uniform wage and salary schedule for the staff and personnel of municipal governments.
According to the bill, the current lack of a standard wage structure in the municipalities has led to a practice of inconsistent salaries being paid for similar job categories. “Discrepancies in wages often leads to low employee morale and further promotes the idea that employment is neither based on education or experience, but rather on political or family relationships,” the bill states.
A public hearing on the bill was held on Tinian on Oct. 17, 2006. The public hearing for Saipan was scheduled for last night, while that for Rota is set for next Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006.
