Inos signs two Rota appropriation bills with reservations

Gov. Eloy S. Inos signed “with reservations” yesterday two Rota local bills appropriating a total of $152,000 in poker license fees for programs and services. One of them was line-item vetoed for lack of justification that appropriation of public funds to two private schools are for a “public purpose.”

The bills also appropriate a huge amount even as poker machines have yet to be renewed and license fee collected.

The governor signed Rep. Teresita Santos’ (R-Rota) House Local Bill 18-34, Draft 1 into Rota Local Law 18-9 appropriating $50,000 in poker license fees on Rota for patients and scholarship.

Inos disapproved two items in the bill, appropriating $1,000 each to Rota Grace Academy and Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja, both for “operations and school supplies.”

“It appropriates public funds to private schools without any details as to the exact purpose for which it is appropriated. Absent justification that it is for a public purpose, I am unable to approve these provisions,” Inos said in his message to Rota Legislative Delegation chair Rep. Teresita Santos and House Speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan).

The governor also urges the local delegation to revisit the matter and re-appropriate the funds if the public purpose test is met.

Inos also urged the delegation to note that while he approves the measure, only two machines have been renewed thus far, for a total collection of $12,000. The bill appropriates $50,000 in poker machine license fee collections.

“As such, payments of $450 can be made to each patient only up to the total amount of the collection until such time that other machines are renewed,” the governor said.

The bill seeks to appropriate $37,500 to the Department of Finance, for the purpose of providing a monthly subsistence allowance of up to $450 a month for Rota residents undergoing dialysis treatment and treatment for terminal illnesses outside Rota.

The remaining $10,000 is for the Rota Municipal Scholarship Fund pursuant to Rota Local Law 17-2.

‘Discrepancy’

The governor also signed “with reservations” Santos’ House Local Bill 18-36, Draft 1, into Rota Local Law 18-10. These were because of a discrepancy in figures.

The measure appropriates $102,000 from poker license fees on Rota for payment of retroactive salaries and the Rota mayor’s office for programs and operations.

“There is a discrepancy between what the retroactive distribution schedule shows and this measure. The amount to be distributed, $94,069.12, is less than the appropriated amount of $96,915.26, which leaves a balance of unapplied revenue of $2,846.14,” Inos said.

The breakdown of the variation is as follows:

The distribution schedule for retroactive payment beginning with $79.34 up to $1,000 total $20,362.24, versus $22,062.41 as shown on the bill, for a difference of $1,700.17.

The governor said the distribution schedule for retroactive payment starting with $1,001 up to $2,112.50 total $37,922.16, versus $39,065.13 as shown in the bill. This has a difference of $1,142.97.

The distribution schedule for retroactive payment beginning with $2,305.42 up to $2,905.42 total $35,784.72, versus $35,787.72 as shown on the bill, for a $3 difference.

“I urge the delegation to work closely with Rota’s Office of Personnel Management for any future retroactive compensation payments to ensure accuracy. Furthermore, as with Rota Local Law 18-9, monies cannot be disbursed until machines are renewed and license fees collected,” the governor added.