31st Legislature to cash-out annual leave

by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - Lawmakers from the 31st Guam Legislature are set to cash out more than $110,000 on unused annual leave. According to a report on senators' accrued annual leave from executive director Vince Arriola, thirteen out of fifteen  senators from the last legislature are set to cash out on leave.

Speaker Judi Won Pat is set to receive $10,400, whereas eight senators will be receiving $9,360, including Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz, Tina Rose Muna Barnes, Frank Blas Jr., Rory Respicio, Judi Guthertz, Adolpho Palacios, Tom Ada and Aline Yamashita. Other senators are owed slightly lower amount include Senator Tony Ada, set to receive $5,762; Senator Dennis Rodriguez with $5,148; Senator Sam Mabini with $8,628l and Senator Mana Silva Taijeron with $6,084.

Won Pat meanwhile says no one will be receiving checks now because no funding has been budgeted yet. "That amount was not appropriated for this fiscal year, so that means there's no money to cash out. But we're not just talking about senators, but the employees as well the staff because every two years when there's a turnover, especially a major turnover then these monies would kind of help carry these employees for a couple of months to find employment elsewhere or hopefully with the Legislature. you won't see that happening until there is that funding source," she assured.

It was just last week when Governor Eddie Calvo signed Bill 543 into law, which not only repealed a 10 percent cut for elected officials and unclassified employees making $50,000 or more but eliminated the annual leave benefits for senators along with the governor and lieutenant governor moving forward. In regards to senators cashing out on annual leave, Governor Calvo says he'll leave it to lawmakers to do what they feel in their house.

He told KUAM News, "I just believe that it's important that we as a government - both the Legislature as a supreme policymaking body together with the Executive Branch - always understand that we are still in a very difficult financial position. And we have to work collaboratively in dealing with the financial condition of this government and work towards resolution for many of these issues so that we can pay tax refunds on time, we can pay merit bonuses on time and pay our bills in time and ultimately reinstate the Hay Study. We've got to balance and rightsize the fiscal affairs of this government," he said.

Senators Ben Pangelinan and Chris Duenas were the only two lawmakers who won't be receiving an annual leave check when they are paid out to their colleagues.