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Rota mayor asks lawmakers to preserve FTEs, address utility arrears and support CBP changes to enable weekend flights
Summary
Mayor Aubrey Hokook urged the committee to retain municipal FTEs, help resolve utility arrears, and back efforts to let Rota officials clear passengers so weekend flights and Guam connections become feasible.
Mayor Aubrey Hokook of the municipality of Rota asked the CNMI Ways and Means Committee to retain municipal FTEs, address long‑running utility arrears and support changes that would permit Rota customs to clear passengers so airlines could operate weekend routes.
“Since the beginning of our administration, it has always been our plan to market or look to the Guam market,” Mayor Hokook said. He described ongoing municipal projects funded by federal grants and asked the committee to consider lifting or continuing the suspension of Public Law 18‑1 to ensure hotel occupancy tax revenues (HUT) support municipal tourism programs.
On utilities, Hokook said many municipal accounts have been converted to Nighthawk meters and that municipal facilities — including the municipal campus that houses multiple departments — have outstanding CUC balances the municipality is working to reconcile. He thanked the governor’s office and SLF for progress on discussions with the utility company and said the municipality is converting more accounts to meter‑based arrangements to manage usage.
On travel and customs, Hokook and resident department heads described negotiations to allow Rota customs officers to clear passengers for eastbound and westbound flights; currently Star Marianas brings a CBP officer to Rota to process clearance, which imposes recurring costs and schedule limits. The mayor said enabling local clearance would increase weekend flight feasibility and help connect Rota with Guam and other markets.
Discussion only: the mayor asked for continued municipal FTE support and recommended coordination with OMB and the governor’s office on utility arrears and on seeking regulatory or administrative solutions for CBP clearance and tourism marketing. Committee members encouraged follow‑up with central agencies.
