Senator questions proposed budget cut

Senate Committee on Fiscal Affairs chair Joseph M. Mendiola is disputing the administration’s claim that it made a 6-percent across-the-board cut in the agencies’ budget for fiscal year 2006.

Mendiola said that, based on the budget submission, some agencies suffered bigger reductions, others had less, some had no reductions, and some, in fact, have increases.

“What’s across-the-board here? It doesn’t appear to be a uniform cut,” he said.

He cited that, as presented by the administration, the Judicial Branch would get a 10.24 increase in FY 2006 but the Legislative Branch would have a nearly 10-percent decrease.

From the current budget of some $5 million, the judiciary would get $5.6 million, while the Legislature would get $8.3 million, a step down from $9 million. The Executive Branch would get a 6.34-percent increase from $197.8 million to $210.3 million.

Agencies with the highest proposed budget increases are Corrections, with a 137-percent increase; Public School System, 34.4 percent; Commerce, 19 percent; and Lands and Natural Resources, $17 percent.

Agencies with the biggest cuts are Independent Programs, plunging by 66.40 percent; Public Works, 17 percent; Marianas Visitors Authority, 11 percent; and Finance, nearly 10 percent.

The administration proposes to raise the budget of the following agencies: Office of the Governor at $17.3 million (from $17.1 million); Commerce at $2 million (from $1.6 million); Corrections at $4.9 million (from $2.1 million); Lands and Natural Resources at $4.4 million (from $3.6 million); Public Health at $40.2 million (from $36.9 million); Public Safety at $11.7 million (from $11 million), Public School System at $50 million (from $37.2 million); and Northern Marianas College at $8.5 million (from $8 million).

The following agencies would get a reduced budget: Attorney General’s Office at $5.6 million (from $6.2 million); Finance at $8.3 million ($9.2 million); Labor at $3.9 million ($4.2 million); Public Works at $7.7 million ($9.3 million); boards and commissions at $885,233 ($898,382); Independent Programs at $2.2 million ($6.6 million); and Marianas Visitors Authority at $6.2 million ($7 million).

The MVA is currently requesting a $2 million supplemental budget.

The Babauta administration is proposing a $225.8-million spending plan for fiscal year 2006—nearly $20 million more than the continuing resolution budget level.

The administration said the requested budget spending would be realized by redirecting funds from the Tobacco Settlement Fund, Tobacco Control Fund, and by raising the annual poker license fee by $6,000.