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Salary cap hike for Rev&Tax director now law
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Posted on Sep 23 2011
A bill raising the salary cap for the Division of Revenue and Taxation director from up to $42,000 to a maximum of $50,000 is now law, and Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) hopes that the vacant position will now attract qualified applicants.
Hofschneider’s (R-Tinian) Senate Bill 17-51, House Draft 1 is now Public Law 17-52.
The bill became law without the governor’s signature after the 40-day period lapsed without any action from the governor.
“Although this bill became law without the governor’s signature, the governor is in full support of this bill,” special assistant for programs and legislative review Vicky Guerrero said in a Sept. 22 letter to House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan) and Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota).
Under the new law, the salary for the Department of Finance’s other unclassified division chiefs and special assistants is capped at $40,800. Exempted from this cap is the Revenue and Taxation director, who will receive a salary of not more than $50,000.
Hofschneider said that raising the salary cap for the Rev&Tax director was one of the recommendations by the Senate Tax Policy and Enforcement Review Committee last year.
“The task force found out that the salary of the Rev&Tax director was unattractive to qualified applicants and that’s why it has remained vacant for three years,” Hofschneider told Saipan Tribune. The position has been vacant since 2008.
A lack of a Rev&Tax director has been affecting the enforcement of poker regulations and delays in the release of tax refunds and rebates, among other things.
“With this bill becoming law, we hope that the administration will be able to hire a director for the division, which is responsible for tax collections and enforcement of tax laws,” he added.
