The Tinian and Aguiguan Legislative Delegation is poised to pass this afternoon a $3 million municipal budget for fiscal year 2012 that includes some $80,000 in retroactive pay for over 100 government employees.<\/p>\n
The estimated $3 million budget for fiscal year 2012 is higher than the $1.2 million in actual collection from the casino industry in fiscal year 2011, said Tinian delegation chair and Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian).<\/p>\n
Hofschneider said the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino\u2019s aggressive marketing campaign and brighter prospects gave them optimism that projected revenues will reach $3 million in 2012.<\/p>\n
But in a session yesterday afternoon, the four-member delegation held off action on the budget bill because of remaining concerns about provisions such as work hour cuts and other austerity measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we hope to pass it Wednesday afternoon when we resume the session. If we pass this, this will be the first time since 2006 that Tinian will have a municipal budget,\u201d Hofschneider said.<\/p>\n
Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz asked the delegation to include funds for retroactive payment in the local budget, lawmakers said.<\/p>\n
Rep. Trenton Conner (R-Tinian) said there\u2019s about $80,000 in retroactive pay that will be divided among over 100 Tinian employees. He said many will receive an equal amount of $500 each, but others will get less than that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to one of them and he said he only has $12 that\u2019s still unpaid so that\u2019s the only amount he will get,\u201d Conner added.<\/p>\n
There was originally some $1 million in retroactive pay owed Tinian government employees. About half of that has already been paid, while some $480,000 has yet to be paid.<\/p>\n
Of the estimated $480,000, only $80,000 can be accommodated in the 2012 budget. Hofschneider pointed out that the retroactive pay is a central government obligation but the Tinian delegation has been looking for ways to pay for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it were up to me and if we have enough funds, I would like to pay all the retroactive pay that employees are entitled to. Many of these employees already passed away before getting their retro pay,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The Tinian municipal budget comes from revenues generated from the casino industry on island, which so far has only Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.<\/p>\n
Hofschneider said the budget will fund the salaries of at least 27 individuals on Tinian, including two Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission members paid over $100,000 each inclusive of salary and benefits; 19 administrative personnel of the Commission including the legal counsel, paid also at over $100,000 annually; and inspectors, three at the Mayor\u2019s Office and three at the Tinian Municipal Treasury.<\/p>\n
[B]$58,000 for Tinian scholarships[\/B]<\/p>\n
During yesterday\u2019s session, the delegation passed Conner\u2019s House Local Bill 17-66, which appropriates a total of $58,000 in collections from poker machines on Tinian for scholarships.<\/p>\n
Of the total amount, $32,187 will be appropriated to the Tinian Municipal Scholarship. The remaining $25,813 was re-appropriated for the Tinian Municipal Scholarship.<\/p>\n
Besides Hofschneider and Conner, the two other delegation members who voted \u201cyes\u201d to pass the bill were Sen. Frank Cruz (R-Tinian) and Sen. Henry San Nicolas (Cov-Tinian).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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