Villagomez seeks clarity on budget ‘overrun’

Rep. Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) wants to clarify what appears to be an “overrun” from the fiscal year 2014 revised budget, when compared to the annual budget report for the same year.

Villagomez said he is seeking the clarification via House Resolution 19-17, which he filed in late April.

H.R. 19-17 seeks to convey the annual report for fiscal year 2014 to the Office of the Public Auditor and the Office of the Attorney General.

According to Villagomez, lawmakers met with Finance Secretary Larissa Larson last February in which the fiscal year 2014 budget was discussed.

H.R. 19-17 noted the Finance chief’s comparison between fiscal year 2014’s revised budget versus the fiscal year 2014 annual report, which showed the appropriated expenditures including earmarked transfers out against outstanding encumbrances out and actual expenditures.

It noted that “the movement of the appropriated expenditures from actual obligations and expenditures plus the movement of the identified revenues from the actual revenues indicated an overall deviation by 4 percent, or an overrun in the amount of $5,915,155.”

“Here we are talking about transparency, etc. I felt this would help with all the discrepancies,” Villagomez said.

The lawmaker added that the resolution is “very neutral,” and that it does not say there was “overspending or someone’s breaking the law.”

The fiscal year 2014 budget was reported at $138 million, which included a supplemental budget for the year.

Villagomez likened the clarification to a “memo on a package” that he wants the Office of the Public Auditor and the Attorney General to look into.

“They are after all the experts when it comes to these concerns,” Villagomez said.

An overrun is often described as a cost increase involving “unexpected costs incurred in excess of budgeted amounts.”

The lawmaker said his resolution is now currently with the House Committee on Ways and Means. He said the committee will “review” the resolution.

“With all due respect [to the committee] but what are they planning to do? Are they supposed to do what the Public Auditor and Attorney General should do?” Villagomez asked.

He said, however, that he will respect the request of his colleagues for “due process” regarding his resolution.