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$.5M in poker fees appropriated for Saipan infrastructure projects
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Posted on Nov 29 2005
Gov. Juan N. Babauta signed House Bill 14-43 into law on Monday that appropriated another half a million dollars from the local poker license fees to fund infrastructure projects on Saipan.
Now Saipan Local Law 14-31, the bill appropriates $350,000 from the poker funds to finance road improvement projects in Tanapag, San Roque, and Capitol Hill; $100,000 to fund a children’s park in Dandan; and $50,000 for the Kannat Tabla quarry fence project.
“The administration supports these important projects. Accordingly, I have decided to sign this bill into law,” Babauta said in his transmittal letter to Sen. Pete Reyes, chairman of the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation.
“I reiterate, however, that the member of Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation are respectfully encouraged to refrain from appropriating any more funds from Saipan Local Law 11-2, as amended, until the projects identified in this measure and all prior financial obligations fund by [S.L.L.] 11-2, are fully paid,” he said.
SLL 11-2 established an annual local license fee of $2,000 for each poker machine licensed.
Enacted in October last year, SLL 14-11 appropriated $5.15 million from these poker license funds various other programs and activities.
The appropriations include $1 million for the CNMI Water Task Force; $1.2 million for the Saipan local scholarship account; $1 million for Precinct III emergency road paving, drainage and survey cost; $900,000 for Precinct I road paving and survey cost, as well as the construction of a walkway at the San Antonio Elementary School and paving of the Dandan kindergarten parking lot; and $500,000 for the construction of a Garapan Fishing Base Public Market.
Other projects tap into these poker funds.
Earlier this month, Babauta approved a House bill that appropriates $70,200 as matching fund on the architectural and engineering design of the 1.0MG Kanat Tabla Tank and Waterline project.
House Bill 14-40, which became S.L.L. 14-30 also re-appropriates $200,000 in poker license funds to finance various road projects in Precinct IV and the purchase of air conditioners for the William S. Reyes Elementary School.
