Mayors voiced their concerns over lawn maintenance at Guam public schools during their monthly council meeting earlier Wednesday.

Like the village leaders, the Mayors' Council of Guam Executive Director Angel Sablan had a firm stance on solving the growing issue. He sits on the Guam Education Board.

"I as a board member will sue GDOE to make them enforce the 14 points of every child is entitled to an adequate education," he said. "It’s not being fulfilled now and I don’t think it's ever been fulfilled since it’s been law in June 2005. We’re in 2023 now."

The controversial discussion is taking mayors back several years. At one point, the village leaders were in charge of cutting the grass.

Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares pointed out the problem.

"She was the one that actually, when she was in the legislature, introduced that bill and it became public law where during the budget period they give us money for the grass cutting for the schools," the mayor said.

By she, Savares meant Guam Department of Education acting Superintendent Judi Won Pat - the author of the school grounds maintenance legislation that became law several years ago.

Now, that responsibility falls back on the shoulders of GDOE.

Still, mayors, including Santa Rita's Dale Alvarez say the department's efforts or lack thereof don’t quite make the cut.

“I believe there’s a contractor for Southern High and i see them every now and then but yet they’re calling me to cut the grass at the softball field," he said.

Alvarez questioned why GDOE is paying a contractor to cut the grass when they don’t get the job done.

"Seems like the school grass hasn’t been cut for the last two years because it's so thick," he said. "If that’s the case, I don't mind taking the contract but only if I go through the route of seeing what's going to be done."

Alvarez added while he doesn’t mind cutting the grass, he also has parents asking him to water blast and paint the school.

Meanwhile, Mongmong-Toto-Maite Mayor Rudy Paco suggested GDOE should have in-house personnel for the job.

“I think doe should hire maintenance instead of utilizing the mayor. I think it would be cheaper if they have their own maintenance group.”

Talo'fo'fo' Mayor Vicente Taitague suggested it's a funding issue.

But Sablan refuted that, saying the money is there– $70 million of it.

"Mayor Taitague, it is not a funding issue," he said. "The money is available. They just need to put the money where it’s needed. There’s over $70 million that GDOE still has unspent. So it's not a funding issue."

He said GDOE shouldn’t wait to hire, instead outsource it to those who can get the job done.

"There’s no reason why the tangan-tangan is taller than the scoreboard at Southern High," Sablan said. "I even mentioned it, what a shame and what a waste that we allow a state-of-the-art recreational facility to go to pot. You go to their swimming pool, only tilapia are swimming in there."

Mayors were hoping to hear from Won Pat to trim away at their concerns, but she was a no-show and the meeting was adjourned.