Northern Islands mayor asks House Ways and Means to fund staff, charters, connectivity and rulemaking

At a House Ways and Means Committee budget hearing, Mayor Valentino Teyscan Jr. of the Northern Islands asked lawmakers to include his office’s FY2026 budget requests and to consider temporary authority for the mayor’s office to collect landing or access fees to support operations and resettlement work.

The request included carrying three positions previously funded elsewhere into the general fund, funding for vessel charters and contingency professional services, utilities, food for events, and continued work on infrastructure and resettlement planning. Mayor Teyscan said the Northern Islands municipality comprises 10 islands, five prioritized for economic development and resettlement, and appealed for equitable funding to support infrastructure, internet connectivity and safe-housing blueprints.

Why it matters: funding and short-term authority to collect landing fees would directly affect the mayor’s ability to transport people and supplies to the remote islands, sustain on-site staff, and advance resettlement and development projects that depend on connectivity and resilient buildings.

Most important facts

- Staffing and budget baseline: Committee members questioned a discrepancy between 17 positions listed on the worksheet and the mayor’s statement that 14 employees are currently on payroll. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) staff clarified the FY2026 request removes three positions and will carry one federally funded position into the general fund; the mayor confirmed he currently has 14 employees.

- Charter and transportation costs: The mayor requested $50,000 under “rental and others” to fund vessel charters. He told the committee a three-day charter has been quoted at about $27,000 and that vessel procurement through procurement procedures typically produces three or more vendor quotations. The mayor said his office usually travels to the Northern Islands quarterly.

- Contingency and professional services: The mayor’s budget includes $60,000 for professional services to contract vessels if charter funds are exhausted.

- Other line items: The request includes $15,000 for food (described as reasonable food and water supplies for events on Saipan and the Northern Islands) and $10,000 for utilities (the mayor said utilities have previously been paid from other appropriations).

- Procurement timing and logistics: Committee members were told procurement for a charter vendor takes roughly a month from advertisement to award. The mayor said the U.S. Coast Guard on Guam occasionally assists by transporting supplies when available.

- Insurance and waivers: The mayor said charter packages do not currently include formal insurance; the office uses passenger waiver forms covering injury and liability for vessel trips.

- Grants and connectivity: The mayor’s staff said the office is pursuing resilience planning and grant-readiness work, including a blueprint for safe shelters (identified as a step to pursue federal grants) and a connectivity award via the Department of the Interior/Office of Insular Affairs for low-earth-orbit satellite Internet. Committee members and the mayor’s staff described these as steps toward longer-term economic activity and visitor access.

- Land and sanctuary designations: The mayor and committee members discussed several Northern Islands (named in testimony as Guguan, Asinchon, Mog and Farlande Pajaros/Euracas) that have been designated by federal authorities as wildlife sanctuaries or critical habitat and one island described as leased to the U.S. military under a covenant agreement. Committee members asked whether the mayor’s office had pursued federal compensation or negotiated access given the loss of local control and projected income; staff said those discussions are planned through executive-branch liaisons and interagency channels.

- Rulemaking and temporary authority to collect fees: Several members proposed including temporary regulatory language in the budget bill to allow the mayor’s office to collect landing/landing-permit fees and to create a limited-term revolving account so the office can generate operating revenue while stand-alone legislation is developed. Mayor Teyscan and his staff expressed support for inserting draft regulations or language in the budget to enable immediate implementation.

Context and supporting detail

Committee members pressed for clarity on specific line items and audit classification. Representative Marissa Flores suggested reclassifying the mayor’s $15,000 food line to a more appropriate account for audit clarity. Vice Chair BJ Atau and others argued for budget language that would not increase the overall appropriation but would grant the mayor temporary authority to collect and retain fees for operational purposes.

Members also raised legacy assets and opportunities: Representative Marissa Flores asked the mayor to investigate an earlier CNMI purchase (a custom 35-foot multi-mission work boat listed at $600,000 in 2013) and report back to the legislature on whether that vessel remains in government possession and could be repurposed.

Formal action recorded

At the start of the hearing, the committee adopted the day’s agenda by motion; the chair announced, “The ayes have it.” No other formal votes on budget line items occurred during the public hearing. The mayor’s FY2026 requests will proceed through the committee process.

Closing and next steps

Mayor Teyscan thanked the committee and OMB staff and said his office stands ready to work with legislature staff on draft regulations. Committee announcements concluded the hearing, and the chair adjourned the session.

Quotes (from hearing)

- “I humbly appeal to you for your assistance in including our budget request in the final CNMI budget package,” Mayor Valentino Teyscan Jr. said when opening his testimony.

- OMB staff clarified, “For FY 2026, they opted to remove the 3 positions and insert 1 of the employee that’s federally funded due to funds being depleted.” (OMB representative Vicky Vilgomis)

- On temporary fee authority: Vice Chair BJ Atau urged including regulatory language in the budget so the mayor can “be self sustaining in a sense,” and Mayor Teyscan responded, “I fully support that.”

Ending note

Committee members and mayoral staff agreed to follow up: the mayor’s office will supply additional procurement and personnel details and pursue interagency discussions about federal-designated sanctuary islands, while the committee will consider drafting budget language to enable temporary fee collection and a revolving account for the mayor’s office.