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Rota delegation approves $40,000 local appropriation after amendments
Summary
The Rota Legislative Delegation passed House Local Bill 24-4 (Draft 1) after adopting amendments that raised the total appropriation to $40,000 and reallocated funds among medical subsistence, mayoral operations and mailing costs; the measure passed unanimously.
The Rota Legislative Delegation voted unanimously on April 4 to adopt House Local Bill 24-4 Draft 1, approving a $40,000 local appropriation to cover medical subsistence allowances, civic events, and related operational costs.
The amended bill increased the original $35,000 allocation to $40,000 and retained a separate $731 appropriation for fuel and lubrication under the Rota Department of Lands and Natural Resources. The delegation reduced the medical referral subsistence allowance from $20,000 to $19,500, moved $20,000 to the mayor’s office for operational expenses related to upcoming events, and assigned $500 to the Department of Finance to cover mailing of the allowances.
Floor leader moved the bill onto the calendar and later moved for passage on first and final reading. Senator Mendiola proposed the amendments that increased the total appropriation and reallocated the line items; members seconded and approved the changes before the final vote. The clerk recorded four yes votes and no dissent, and the clerk announced that "House local bill 24 dash 4 d 1 is hereby passed."
The delegation debated the intent of the reallocation during the amendment discussion. Senator Mendiola said the consolidated $20,000 for the mayor’s office "will address the mayor’s request, which is to be broken down to the Flame Tree’s expenditure, Taste of the Marianas expenditure, and to also include, Miss Manamco in that expenditure so that everything is just consolidated and we're not short changing the mayor." The senator also explained that $500 taken from the medical allowance would go to the Department of Finance to ensure the subsistence checks can be mailed.
The assembled amendments were recorded as adopted (House Local Bill 24-4 Draft 1, herein referred to as HLB 24-4 D1). The bill’s passage concludes the delegation’s bill calendar for the session.
Votes at a glance: HLB 24-4 D1 — outcome: passed; vote tally: 4 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from all present delegation members.
