Tinian’s Borja asked for docs on ARPA, revolving funds balances

Ralph N. Yumul

The House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee has asked Tinian Municipal Council treasurer Barbara Borja to provide documents pertaining to current fund balances for all Tinian fund accounts such as from the American Rescue Plan Act and revolving funds.

Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan), who chairs the committee, gave Borja until July 24, 2023, to submit the requested records.

The committee members approved Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan) motion to issue a “1308-1309” letter request for documents at a meeting last Monday. This refers to a section of the CNMI Code pertaining to “cooperation of government officers and employees” requiring them to “cooperate with any investigating committee and with its representatives and furnish to it or to its representatives such information as may be called for in connection with the research activities of the committee.”

Letter 1309 refers to a section of the Commonwealth Code that gives the committee authority to obtain evidence or information by any lawful means.

At the start of the meeting, Yumul said the Senate is still awaiting the response of the Department of Finance with regards to bond payments. He recommended issuing a letter 1308 since they need the information before his committee can make any changes to the government’s fiscal year 2024 budget and that they haven’t gotten any information or straight answers from the Tinian Municipal Council treasurer and Finance.

Yumul said the 1308 letter is to request documents so they can move forward with the budget hearing and finalize the fiscal year 2024 budget.

Attao said they should proceed with the 1308 letter as this is something that they actually requested during the conference committee for the revised budget for 2023 and they still didn’t get that information even then.

Attao said they should move with 1308 letter and should the Tinian treasurer not provide the committee the information, they should proceed with the issuance of a 1301 letter to get those documents so that they can work on the budget with real numbers that are from external sources. Letter 1301 vests subpoena powers on the committee.

In his 1308-1309 letter on Monday, Yumul requested Borja to submit current balances of the municipality’s accounts and sources from the American Rescue Plan Act, revolving accounts, local sources, professional services, tribunal, any other accounts to which the municipality has access or expenditure authority from January 2021 to the present.

Yumul requested any documents in Borja’s possession or custody related to the tracking, accounting, receipt, expenditure, or transaction of funds and accounts from January 2021 to the present, pertaining to those accounts and sources.

He asked for all documents, records, and contracts that show that ARPA funds (Capital Improvement Project or otherwise), that have been received by the Municipality of Tinian and have been encumbered and are legally unavailable to fund other services or personnel.

The chair also requested for current employee listing and position titles for all municipal employees funded by “tribunal” funds or funds sourced by ARPA Section 603(b)(3).