Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog made history after being ceremonially sworn into office over the weekend as the first female and youngest person to hold the position in CNMI history.

"It started as a dream when I was a young girl and to be standing here before you all...seeing this dream becoming a reality is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life," she said.

Hocog, 35, won the five-way mayoral race in November by 35 votes, launching her into the history books as the former staffer now heads the office.

In her speech, she highlighted the need to get creative as government jobs are slashed and tourism struggles to bear fruit.

"Our people had to subsidize their living by returning to the basics of hunting, farming, and fishing for survival," she said.

Her first act in office already disrupting agendas as she appointed her cabinet based on an open application process. Now, she faces the challenge of the Commonwealth's fiscal crisis, vowing to work with the legislative delegation to get Rota's piece of the pie.

Guam's Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio offered support as she makes that happen.

"We have a common bond. We are one people," he said. We have environmental issues that affect both of us," he said. "We have issues with regards to global warming, climate change, and of course how we are all going to be impacted by the expanded military build-up."

Those regional issues are top of mind as local government scrambles for resources.