by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Reiterating the need for lawmakers to approve the supplemental budget, while the Calvo Administration continues to cut costs and look to enhance revenues while demanding accountability from Government of Guam employees were the focus of acting Department of Administration director Benita Manglona's second special message to the people of Guam.

While she elaborated on the administration's cuts to spending by reducing rental costs, cutting back on utilities, eliminating certain positions and updating real property appraisals, Manglona stressed that officials are working to ensure that ever penny that comes in to the government is well spent. The BBMR official also recommended monthly or quarterly performance evaluations for GovGuam workers to improve the delivery of government service.

Manglona also said there will be an assessment of what services the government can outsource. She noted, "All of these solutions still beg the central question here: is it enough to pay what government owes to 44,000 taxpayers? If we instituted all these solutions this year, could we pay all the tax refunds by Christmas? The answer is no. We need the bond the Governor is proposing in order to do that. Without it, taxpayers will continue waiting two to three years for the money that is rightfully theirs."

In the meantime, the supplemental budget and the governor's biennial budget go up for a public hearing tomorrow morning, with an oversight with DOA scheduled for later that afternoon.

LISTEN TO BENITA MANGLONA'S SPECIAL ADDRESS