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Mayor’s Council flags possible $3.5M shift in FY25 budget that could shrink council operating funds
Summary
Council leaders told mayors the FY25 budget’s Section 1 appropriates $12.3M to the Mayor’s Council while Section 7 earmarks $3.5M for community maintenance workers (CMWs); the chair warned the section could be read as taking $3.5M from the $12.3M, leaving roughly $8M for operations, and said the executive director will confirm with BBMR before further action.
The Mayor’s Council of Guam spent a substantial portion of its Oct. 2 meeting on a possible budget shortfall tied to language in the FY2025 Budget Act. The chair said the bill contains a Section 1 appropriation of $12.3 million to the Mayor’s Council and a Section 7 provision referencing $3.5 million for community maintenance workers. Based on the document’s wording, the chair said the council could be left with roughly $8 million for operations if the $3.5 million is deducted from the $12.3 million rather than provided in addition to it.
Council members recalled that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds had previously covered work that made present-year funding patterns less stable. The chair said she had been told by oversight staff and Office of Budget and Management and Research (BBMR) staff that the $3.5 million was intended to be added to, not subtracted from, the $12.3 million; she directed the executive director to confirm the interpretation with BBMR and report back. Mayors pressed for a work session to review the history of how community maintenance workers were funded and to prepare for outreach to the legislature if the $3.5 million is not additive.
Several mayors said the council needs clearer district-level lapse and allotment reporting to build a compelling case for FY2026 budget requests. The executive director said staff will work to provide clearer reports and that procurement training on Oct. 15 will be used to improve purchasing practices and reconciliation ahead of the new fiscal year.
No formal vote or legislative action occurred during the session; members asked the executive director to follow up with BBMR and said they will plan further internal work sessions before pursuing legislative remedies.
