‘Pay raise was not in Torres’ letter’

A House of Representatives lawmaker pointed out that Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ recall letter on a bill that would increase the salaries of elected officials did not indicate anything about increasing their wages; rather, it would create a new pay schedule for civil service employees.

Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan) said that Torres’ letter to the Legislature on Nov. 9 last year asked House Speaker Rafael S. Demapan (R-Saipan) and then Senate President Francisco M. Borja (R-Tinian) to recall House Bill 19-3, HS1, due to some concerns.

That bill would have enacted a new base salary schedule for classified civil service government employees and increase the salary ceiling for government employees.

After the recall, when the bill went back on the House calendar, HB 19-3 now contained a section providing an increase for elected officials. It passed the House on Nov. 29, 2016, on a 15-5 vote; the Senate acted on it last Dec. 6. It was transmitted to the Governor’s Office a week after on Dec. 12 where it awaited Torres’ signature.

It is not clear if it has already become law even without Torres’ signature since Article II Section VII (b) of the CNMI Constitution states that “the governor shall have 20 days in which to consider appropriation bills and 40 days in which to consider other bills. If the governor fails either to sign or veto a bill within the applicable period it shall become a law.”

“What concerns me is, according to the governor’s letter, it did not specify any salary adjustments for elected officials when he asked for HB 19-3 to be recalled. When it was put back on the bill calendar it had already included the pay raise. It was not one of the concerns raised by the governor’s message,” said Attao.

Under House Bill 19-3, HS1, the salaries of all elected officials—mayors, legislators, lieutenant governor, and governor—would increase roughly by 80 percent.

Attao conceded that elected officials’ salaries badly need an upgrade. The last time government officials’ salaries increased was in the 7th Legislature under Public Law 7-31. “And I know that legislation that created the last salary act since the author is my father [then-floor leader Jesus T. Attao (R-Saipan)].”

Unlike in Guam, though, the increase for lawmakers’ salaries here would be retroactive. “They paid themselves for the last two years and technically they got four years for those who won re-election.”

Attao also said the pay raise is an unfunded liability, with an estimated $800,000 needed to fund the increase for the remaining months of the 2017 fiscal year. “Where are they going to get the money? The [FY 2017] budget gave the governor 100 percent reprogramming authority, but it only falls on general revenues.”

Attao was one of five lawmakers who voted against the pay raise for elected officials.