Law grants $500K more to Saipan Mayor’s Office

A local law signed yesterday by acting Gov. Jesus R. Sablan appropriated nearly half-a-million dollars for the Saipan Mayor’s Office to help improve its delivery of services to the community.

It also set aside $100,000 to increase funding for the construction of a shelter for battered women and other victims of domestic violence.

The appropriation came from the $512,000 collected from poker license fees which the Saipan and Northern Islands legislative delegation approved two weeks ago.

The money provided to the mayor’s office supplemented the budget shortfall for its operations this year as Mayor Jose C. Sablan expressed relief for the additional funding.

“It’s not enough. but we will try our best to make do what we have,” he said after witnessing the acting governor signed the bill into local law at a brief ceremony at the governor’s office.

According to Mayor Sablan, most of the money will be spent for purchase of equipment and spare parts for heavy equipment used in clearing roads as well as to pay expenses incurred from last year’s celebration of Liberation Day.

He also said that some will be used to improve water delivery service that his office provides to the public on a daily basis, seven days a week. Water delivery services have suffered delays in the past few weeks due to low water pressure, angering some residents who have lodged complaints with his office.
The mayor’s office receives water delivery requests from a high of 390 to a low of 150 a day.

Meanwhile, the $100,000 earmarked for the shelter project being administered by the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation brought up its total funding to $900,000.

This will be sufficient to complete the project within the next few months, according to NMHC Corporate Director Marylou S. Ada.
Ms. Ada was joined by Commonwealth Development Authority Board Chair Juan S. Tenorio during a presentation of the proposed shelter at the governor’s office.

To be called Guma Esperansa, it will be erected on a 6,900 square feet public lands along Maturana Road in Navy Hill. It will have a two-story building with a high-maximum security to protect its residents and staff. Groundbreaking is expected to be held in two weeks.

Mr. Tenorio said this will add to the three existing homes for victims of domestic violence that are being ran by church organizations, but it will be managed by Karidat and its staff of volunteers who will assist women and children sent to shelter because of problems at home.

About $400,000 of its total construction cost came from federal grants under the Community Development block Grant which is being administered by NMHC, while another $400,000 in matching funds came from local appropriation.

Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider, who had sought funding for the project in the Legislature, thanked the CDBG for providing the seed-money. “It was a justified program since this is one of those socio elements that we tend to sweep under the carpet,” he said.