GEC will be short in funding
Based on current projections, the GEC will be short $187,000 if reserve funding is not released.
By KUAM NewsGuam - By July, the Guam Election Commission will be short funding. That's according to GEC executive director Maria Pangelinan, who during the GEC's Wednesday regular meeting noted that based on current projections, the GEC will be short $187,000 if reserve funding is not released.
Pangelinan told commissioners that she had relayed the concern over the shortfall to the Bureau of Budget & Management Research at the beginning of this year in which BBMR noted they would revisit the matter in April. She sent a formal memo last week following up on the matter in which she has yet to receive a response.
GEC is requesting for the release of $108,000 currently sitting in its reserves. However, even with the reserves, the GEC will still be short in funding and is going over contingency plans.
The GEC owes its vendors a total of $102,000 for the current fiscal year. This includes payments for services from Public Works, Guam Police Department and the University of Guam's Field House and Computer Center from the 2012 general election. Pangelinan adds the GEC also has prior year obligations totaling over $200,000, which includes litigation services with Cabot and Mantanona dating back to 2005.
The GEC submitted its FY2014 budget in March requesting $1,163,783 which does not include funding for new equipment. This year's budget request does however include funding for new mandates such as increased pay for precinct officials. The GEC had requested a similar amount last fiscal year but only received $756,000.
The GEC will next meet on May 15 at 5:31pm.