Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor’s Council outlines FY2026 budget timeline, appoints finance lead and vows SOP updates
Summary
At its Jan. 22 meeting the Mayor’s Council of Guam reviewed internal operations, set a timetable for the FY2026 budget submission and appointed the executive director to chair the council’s budget/finance committee; the council also approved updates to standard operating procedures and discussed membership dues and payroll deductions.
The Mayor’s Council of Guam on Jan. 22 said it will submit its fiscal year 2026 budget to the Guam Legislature by mid-March and appointed the council’s executive director to chair a new budget and finance committee charged with drafting funding requests and language necessary to spend appropriations.
The council’s executive director, Georgie, told members she signed a purchase order on Dec. 30 to buy three computers per village and expects delivery by the end of March. Georgie also said the council will hold operations training Feb. 12–13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Guam Homeland Security covering procurement, payroll, invoices, fleet programs and the recycling revolving fund.
Council President Mayor Luis Rivera said the FY2026 request must include both dollar amounts and the statutory or bill language that will let the council actually spend the money if it is appropriated. Rivera named the executive director to chair the finance committee so staff and members can work directly together on account reconciliation, revenue sources and budget language.
Why it matters: Council leaders said limited administrative systems and past accounting gaps forced the council to reconcile prior years before distributing balances to village offices. Members said that inadequate budget language or improper procurement rules could prevent use of funds even if the legislature appropriates them.
Details and debate Georgie told members the council had not previously had a consistent financial-management system and that a newly hired accountant is reconciling prior-year lapses before any distribution of balances can occur. She also said a procurement-certified staff member has been hired to ensure purchases comply with law.
Mayor Luis reviewed the council’s experience in the recently completed fiscal 2025 cycle, saying the council requested $19 million, the initial enacted appropriation was roughly $12 million and an additional $4.5 million was later added, producing a working total of about $14 million. Council members debated where additional FY26 money might come from and whether language in the budget bill should explicitly permit certain uses so the council can spend appropriations without legal roadblocks.
Bylaws, SOPs and membership dues The council reminded new members that its bylaws include a $100 initial membership fee and a $25 payroll deduction per pay period. Rivera told members a standing committee will review and recommend amendments to the council’s standard operating procedures and bylaws, and he appointed two mayors to co-chair that committee. Rivera said the SOP review will include procurement and the non-appropriated funds account, and asked committees to produce recommendations within the next month to two months.
What’s next The executive director will convene the finance committee and lead the account reconciliation. Members were asked to prepare village-level budget requests for the council’s FY2026 submission and to identify potential funding sources they can document to justify requests.
