Legislative committee hears bill to give Mayor's Council executive director procurement authority up to $500,000

The Committee on Finance and Government Operations of the 38th Guam Legislature held a public hearing June 25 on Bill 1-46-38 COR, which would add a new section to Chapter 5, Title 5, Guam Code Annotated to grant the executive director of the Mayor's Council of Guam limited procurement authority for goods and services not to exceed $500,000.

The measure's supporters say the change would speed delivery of routine supplies and services across Guam's 19 municipalities by reducing how often the General Services Agency must process small but numerous transactions. Joy Jean Arceo, executive director of the Mayor's Council of Guam, testified that the council processed 427 purchase orders in the last six months "which equal to $2,200,000," and urged a statutory requirement that the executive director remain certified to exercise any delegated authority.

Arceo said the bill "is not about expanding individual power. It's about…