by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - While the governor's fiscal policy team continues its review of the substitute budget bill, Governor Eddie Calvo does notice something different. "I want to congratulate the committee as a whole and the legislature compared to last year when there was so much confrontation, and it appears by the tone of this session at least from the first day that it's in a spirit of working with our administration and understanding where we've come from in regards to budget deficits in the past that have accumulated and with that understanding that there had been a deficit that was growing on the backs of the taxpayers through non payment of tax refunds," he said.

The governor's original FY2013 budget called for a total of $772.5 million in expenditures while the substitute version calls for $770.9 million. Both bills call for $100 million to be set aside for 2012 tax refunds. The substitute bill meanwhile calls for the Executive, Judicial and Legislative Branch to reduce operations by a combined $14 million with savings to go to pay past due tax refunds.