Teno sends back appropriation bills
Governor Pedro P. Tenorio last Friday tossed back to the legislature a bill that seeks to reappropriate unused funds from two public laws amounting to $256,636 for the construction and renovation of school buildings.
The two appropriation mesaures were disapproved after Governor Tenorio found that Legislators failed to identify sources of fund.
In his statement, the Governor explained that,”Although the bill indicates that the fund balances from Public Laws Nos. 9-1 and 10-38 are to be used for the construction and renovation of various school projects on Saipan, it does not list the specific projects from which the funds will come from.”
The Governor further stated that before the fund balance of Public Laws Nos. 9-1 and 10-38 would be ready for appropriation, the projects should first be closed out.
“It is not possible for the appropriate agencies to confirm whether the projects under Public Laws 9-1 and 10-38 are completed and fund balances are actually available for reappropriations unless the bill lists the specific projects it intends to use the fund balances from,” Governor Tenorio clarified.
HB 12-059, C1 was passed by the Senate on final reading last Friday and was immediately transmitted to the governor’s office.
The bill sought to rechannel the unused money from Public Law Nos. 9-1 and 10-38 for the construction of Dandan, Kagman, and Koblerville elementary school playgrounds, the drainage system of San Vicente Elementary School, and the renovation of the Special Education Building at the San Antonio Elementary School.
Under the disapproved bill, $80,000 was appropriated for the upgrading of the San Vicente Elementary School campus drainage systems, $41,212 each was earmarked for the construction of the Dandan Elementary School and Kagman Elementary School Playgrounds, $16,000 for the fencing of Kagman Elementary School’s Steep Hill area and $13,000 for miscellaneous repairs and renovation of San Vicente Headstart.
