by Mindy Aguon

Guam - The Calvo Administration has talked a lot about the cash shortfalls of the Executive Branch, and while we wait to see what action the Guam Legislature will take on the governor's spending cuts proposal. Over at the third branch of government, they too are experiencing a cash crunch.

Judicial Council members have spent the last five weeks reviewing a proposal from management that seeks to address the court's $1.7 million budgetary shortfall. The Council has already approved increasing court fees beginning New Year's Day to generate much-needed additional revenue, which they pegged to be about $300,000. The second initiative is implementing a $600,000 management deficit reduction plan that could be realized by holding back costs in different divisions.

Court policy, planning and communications director Joshua Tenorio says the third proposal is targeted to begin on May 21 and would result in reducing the Judiciary's operational hours by four hours a week. "We'll be closing early at 4pm Tuesdays through Fridays. So we would essentially cut out personnel expenses by ten percent from the chief justice on down to the entry-level paid employee," he explained.

Tenorio says the reduction in operational and employee hours is a result of a budgetary shortfall. "We're trying to work with the Administration and the Legislature to basically fund $850,000. The total shortfall was $1.7 million, but we've brought that down to $850,000, and that's what we need. $850,000 is the amount that has to be absorbed by personnel if nothing else is done," he added.

Tenorio says the Judiciary is looking at ways to avert the reduction in hours, but without an $850,000 infusion, he says they'll have no other choice unless the Guam Legislature steps in. He explained, "The different things that can be done is looking at back appropriations that have not been released to the Judiciary as a way to pay that down or a special appropriation, if the Legislature does not want to see the Judiciary reduce its hours by May."

Inevitably a reduction in court hours will have an impact on the already overwhelming caseload at the courts, but Tenorio says officials will do their best to minimize the impact as much as they can. He says discussion is ongoing now to allow staff to prepare for the reduction and to allow additional time to find alternatives. "We're able to get some assistance and some reprieve from this $850,000 shortfall that we've reduced from that $1.7 million amount than we'll be able to avert, avoid that situation. But as it stands right now we don't have any confirmed ways to bridge that gap and we will have no choice than to go in that direction," he said.

The Judicial Council is expected to vote on the proposals when they meet this Thursday at noon.