Saipan mayor asks for $1 million above governor—s proposal, outlines youth programs and event funding at Ways and Means hearing

Mayor David Camacho asked the Saipan Committee on Ways and Means on July budget hearing to consider an additional $1 million on top of the governor—s FY2026 proposal and described a range of municipal services the mayor—s office performs, from youth sports and village cleanups to dog control and funeral/humanitarian responses.

The request and supporting presentation emphasized community programs and operational pressures the mayor said are largely unfunded or underfunded. "We operate 6 days a week, and there's no there's no overtime," Mayor Camacho said as he described stretched personnel and a request to add five full-time positions to handle field operations and community services.

Committee members pressed the mayor and his staff for detailed account balances, clarified special funds and asked for documentation tying prior SNIO (special local) appropriations to expenditures. Committee members also sought clarity on several revolving and special accounts, including the mayor's marriage-license and bingo revenue accounts and an MVA (hotel occupancy) special fund the mayor said currently shows about $157,000 but is inaccessible pending OIT/Finance account setup.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the hearing as part of annual oversight of local operations and event spending. Several large, recurring public events—including the annual Liberation Day festivities—rely in part on mayoral office support and outside nonprofit committees, and members flagged the need to account for public money and vendor charges.

Key facts - Request totals: The mayor's office presented a departmental request of about $5.4 million; the governor's proposal shown to the committee was $3.2 million. Mayor Camacho said he would accept a compromise of an additional $1 million above the governor's proposal. The committee did not adopt or appropriate funds during the hearing. - FY2025 baseline: The mayor reported a FY2025 appropriation of $3,200,000 for the mayor's office (roughly $3,000,000 personnel, $187,000 operations and a 1% OPA allocation of $32,000). From Oct. 1, 2024, through June, the office had expended about $2.5 million (per presentation). - Spending categories cited: personnel (largest), office rent/contract ($120,000/month stated as a contract line item in the presentation), fuel and lubrication ($143,000 expended to date), operational supplies ($107,000), equipment repairs ($91,000), and other expenses ($109,000). - Program activity cited: 46,000 feet of secondary roads repaired (presentation figure); 426 junk vehicles removed as of June; youth sports and other youth engagement events (the Youth Softball Cup drew more than 250 children in March, per the presentation); village residential cleanups in Chalan Canoa and Kangmang. - Personnel request: Mayor Camacho asked for 5 additional FTEs to support field operations and community services; the office also reported several existing vacancies (three vacants cited after the governor—s submission). - Special and revolving accounts discussed: marriage-license revolving account (present balance cited at about $156,000), bingo license account currently showing a negative inherited balance (about -$885), and an MVA hotel-occupancy special fund with a balance the mayor described as $157,000 but without grant/of-access to spend until OIT/Finance grants system access.

Event funding and vendor fees The committee focused substantial attention on Liberation Day and related festival funding. Mayor Camacho said the mayor's office and a nonprofit Liberation Day Committee both play roles in running the multi-night festival; he told the panel the mayor's office requests and SNIO appropriations help cover large logistics costs such as stage rental, tents and entertainment.

Members questioned a Liberation Day Committee policy that imposes a 10% token redemption levy on concessions' sales. Representative Marissa Flores (Floor Leader) and others said the combined effect of concession application fees and the committee—s 10% levy can be burdensome for vendors; the mayor—s chief of staff said the 10% was intended to help cover volunteer meals, utilities, porta-potties, program booklets and other logistical expenses and that the board would review the policy if requested. The mayor and chief also said the Liberation Day Committee pays Business Gross Revenue Tax (BGRT) filings and has been addressing legacy filing gaps.

Access to special funds and reporting directions Committee members pressed for clarity on how special appropriations have been used and asked for formal accounting. Representative Marissa Flores and others asked OMB/Finance and the mayor's budget officer to provide detailed breakdowns of how SNIO appropriations and other special accounts were spent. Mayor Camacho said his office would furnish reports: Budget Officer Manny Palinina indicated he would provide the requested expenditure detail to the committee.

No final votes on budget items The hearing was an oversight and information-gathering session; no appropriations or committee votes on the FY2026 mayoral request were taken at the hearing. The only formal action recorded at the start of the session was adoption of the committee agenda.

Ending Committee members asked the mayor's office to (1) provide an itemized report on prior SNIO and special-fund expenditures; (2) work with OIT/Finance to gain access to the MVA hotel-occupancy account so the office can use the remaining balance; and (3) review Liberation Day Committee vendor-fee policy if members or affected vendors request that reconsideration. The committee scheduled further budget hearings for July 8 and July 10 (judicial branch and PSS).