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Legislature OKs $10M pay hike, retro pay
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Posted on Jun 21 2005
The Senate and the House of Representatives reached an agreement yesterday to approve a $10 million appropriation bill to grant salary increases and retroactive pay to eligible government employees.
House Ways and Means Committee chair Norman S. Palacios said that conference committee members from both chambers agreed to keep the House version, which is $10 million, rather than the Senate’s $20 million proposed public debt measure.
“We reached a consensus to just go back to the original version, the House version,” said Palacios.
The House rejected in April the Senate amendments that were made to House Bill 14-304, which aims to appropriate $10.9 million in fiscal year 2005 to raise government employees’ salary, pay off retroactive compensation as well as retirement and health insurance contribution.
The bill originally wanted to source the money from the additional revenues identified by the Babauta administration for FY 2005.
When it reached the Senate, the bill was amended to increase the amount to $20 million and, instead of tapping government revenue, the Senate moved to authorize the Commonwealth Development Authority to borrow the needed amount.
The Senate inserted $9 million to reimburse the Saipan and Northern Island local delegation, which had used its funds to pay off the retroactive pay of Saipan government employees.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Jesus T. Attao, seeks to give Rota a total of $1.9 million for frozen steps ( $224,163) and retroactive pay ( $1.04 million) as well as $702,933 for within-grade increases.
Tinian personnel would receive $1.5 million: $316,990 for frozen steps, $904,157 for retroactive pay, and $344,971 for within-grade increases.
Saipan employees would have $5.03 million: $1.6 million for frozen steps and $3.5 million for within-grade increases. Eligible Saipan government employees had already received their retroactive compensation.
The bill also wants to give $2.4 million for government employees’ retirement, Medicare, and health insurance contribution.
The bill now goes to the Governor’s Office for signing.
