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Finance clarifies CQ account and unpaid overtime as committee presses for transaction breakdowns
Summary
Finance and customs officials told the Senate committee that some revolving earmarks were suspended, desk-audit salary adjustments were funded from CQ accounts, and roughly $11,000 in military-related overtime remained unpaid; senators asked for detailed transaction reports and certified fund balances.
Finance and customs officials told the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee on Aug. 19 that a mix of revolving accounts and temporary suspensions is complicating personnel funding and overtime reimbursements in Tinian.
Resident Finance Director Melissa Mendiola said Customs & Biosecurity had four FTEs reflected in the CQ account last fiscal year and that desk-audit salary adjustments are apportioned between the local Tinian account and the CQ accounts. "So customs and biosecurity, a certain percentage is funded by the Tinian account, and then the remaining percentage is funded by CQ account," Mendiola said.
Committee members pressed for clearer accounting after a fiscal analyst highlighted large totals in excess-excise-tax categories and questioned why only a small running balance appeared in the island accounts. Finance representative Eletary Palacios provided an interim running balance number for CQ-related funds and later stated a consolidated balance of about $1,610,082 for certain CQ accounts.
Customs officers described the overtime-billing practice: agents fund activities, government officers are paid first, and agents later reimburse the government. They said this process creates delays and cited about $11,000 in unpaid military overtime related to recent trainings. "The only overtime concern that we have is the military…we're showing, like, $11,000 of military overtime that's not paid," a customs representative said.
Senators asked Finance to supply transaction-level breakdowns and year-to-date expense reports so the committee can trace transfers, suspended earmarks, and the source of personnel funding for positions routed for hiring. Lawmakers also directed staff to draft letters to DOD/CBMA representatives to pursue reimbursement for unpaid military overtime and to copy the municipal delegation so local leaders can track responses.
No formal appropriation decisions were made. The committee requested follow-up documents — detailed transaction reports, certified fund balances for CQ/9040/9044 accounts, and a clarified personnel roster showing which positions are locally funded versus CQ-funded — to inform upcoming budget votes.
