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Babauta OKs 300K for Youth Center
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Posted on Mar 12 2005
Gov. Juan N. Babauta has signed a local bill into law authorizing the use of $300,000 to fund the Youth Center operations on Saipan.
“The CNMI government must continue to ensure that the youth have access to the many programs and activities provided by the center. Therefore, the administration considers the full funding [of the Youth Center] to be of utmost importance,” said Babauta in a letter to Sen. Pete P. Reyes, chair of the Saipan and Northern Island Legislative Delegation.
The delegation earlier passed House Local Bill 14-49, which aimed to appropriate $300,000 from the Managaha Island Land User Fee Trust Account to fund the Youth Center.
The measure now becomes Saipan Local Law 14-18. The law identifies the Special Assistant for Youth Services as the expenditure authority for the funds, instead of the Special Assistant for the Youth Affairs.
Meantime, Babauta called on the members of the local delegation to work closely with the relevant agencies that are identified as intended beneficiaries of the Managaha user fee “to ensure that the proper official from each respective agency is identified as the expenditure authority in the future appropriation measures.”
The governor recently approved another bill tapping $600,000 from the same local funds to help farmers and to fund the Arts Council and Culture Gallery office, among others.
House Local Bill 14-48, which becomes Saipan Local Law 14-17, allots $200,000 to defray the cost that local farmers and fishermen incurred during typhoons Tingting and Chaba.
The budget includes funding for the eradication of rats and betel nut disease.
The law appropriates $200,000 for the renovation and construction of the Old Garapan HeadStart for the CNMI Council for Arts and Culture Gallery Office.
Other funds shall go to the construction of three canoe houses ($100,000), Youth Indigenous Cultures, Arts, and Language Program ($50,000), and public sculptures ($50,000).
