HAGATNA, Guam — A Guam senator will try again to repeal pay raises for elected and appointed officials. ADVERTISING HAGATNA, Guam — A Guam senator will try again to repeal pay raises for elected and appointed officials. Sen. Michael San
HAGATNA, Guam — A Guam senator will try again to repeal pay raises for elected and appointed officials.
Sen. Michael San Nicolas, D-Dededo, on Tuesday reintroduced a bill to repeal salary increases for the governor, lieutenant governor, cabinet members and senators based on recommendations from the Competitive Wage Act of 2014, Pacific Daily News reported.
Senators approved the pay raise bill Nov. 21. The measure includes a retroactive payment back to January.
For senators, the measure means a nearly 40-percent raise to an annual salary of $85,000. The governor and lieutenant governor will be paid $130,000 and $110,000.
The legislature has faced funding issues with agencies, San Nicolas said.
“We always ask, ‘where are we going to find the money?’ But yet we can find it when we’re talking about raises and pay being retroactive?” San Nicolas asked.
San Nicolas acknowledged the repeal had minimal support at the end of the last session but said he would like to hear from four new senators and incumbents to be sworn in next month.
Gov. Eddie Calvo told members of the media this week he would like to see the retroactive payment and paychecks reflecting the raise before Christmas.
The Wage Act, submitted to senators in January, included recommended pay raises to government employees but lawmakers excluded themselves and the appointed officials.
“I think my people deserve a raise,” Calvo said, adding, “I believe I do deserve a raise.”
