‘Reject TGCC nominations’

This is my testimony on the nomination of two new members to the Tinian Gaming Control Commission by Mayor Jose P. San Nicolas, as requested in your posted public notice of Sept. 22, 2008.

In short, the appointments are an unnecessary expense to the Tinian Municipal Fund at this time and should be rejected.

First, the existing three members of the TGCC have demonstrated their ability to manage the affairs of the Tinian Gaming Control Commission at this time. Only when the term of one of the existing members expires will a replacement become necessary.

Second it would be injudicious on the part of the Tinian Municipal Council to act on increasing the expenses of the Tinian Gaming Control Commission at a time of declining revenues. Adding two $75,000 employees to a limited payroll means that there will be $150,000 less to share among the low-paid career TGCC employs who are necessary.

With all due respect, the Tinian Municipal Council would look foolish if they were to agree to the mayor’s request for additional Gaming Commission members, until such time as the mayor submits a final detailed account of his expenditures since taking office and a legitimate budget for FY 2009, just as you and Senator Mendiola, Chairman of the Tinian Legislative Delegation, requested earlier this year.

You and Senator Mendiola wrote to the Tinian Municipal Treasurer on April 18, requesting the final detailed expenditure report for 2007 be delivered to you “no later than April 25.” In your words, “It is important that we receive your report or analysis, in order to be appraised of the financial status of our municipal government before we pass a new local appropriation budget.” This was the right thing to do and I commended you for it. Unfortunately, when the report did not arrive, Senator Mendiola extended your deadline to May 31 and nothing has transpired since. In short, the mayor has ignored the fiduciary responsibilities of both the Tinian Legislative Delegation and the Tinian Municipal Council.

Now the mayor has arrogantly tossed the ball back into your court, asking that you approve the nomination of his son and his consultant to the Gaming Commission. The Council has but two options. One, it can rubber stamp the appointments, as everyone expects. Or, and this is the option most people are hoping for, the Council members will remember their oath of office and their collective responsibility to the CNMI Constitution to act as the necessary check and balance on the power of the mayor. Indeed, the mayor has given the Tinian Municipal Council the opportunity to stand up boldly for what is right for the people of Tinian, by returning the mayor’s appoints disapproved, demanding the expenditure reports, and beginning public hearings on a realistic Tinian Municipal Fund budget.

One way or the other, if the mayor continues to refuse to disclose his expenditures of the people’s money, the Council will have no choice but to request that the CNMI Public Auditor examine the Tinian Municipal Fund immediately. That is the only way Tinian will be able to re-establish proper budgeting procedures.

Thank you for accepting my testimony.