The territory's top financial officers are slated to testify on the Fiscal Year 2000 budget during Tuesday's Finance Committee meeting. One item no longer under consideration is the 6 percent pay cut proposed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
Turnbull sent a letter to the Legislature Monday, reversing his position on the 75-hour pay period that would have saved the government $20 million, according to Government House officials.
The pay cut was one of the items to be discussed in Tuesday's Finance Committee meeting. Sen Lorraine Berry had expressed concern earlier in the month saying that the budget called for 6 percent pay cuts to take place effective July 1 before budget hearings are slated to begin.
In a release from her office Monday Berry said, "The Finance Committee shall commence its scrutiny of the budget on July 27, to conclude August 27, following which consensus will be developed and markup will take place in the committee, then to be forwarded to the Rules Committee and the full body to take effect Oct. 1."
Berry stated that prior to July 27, information will be gathered to serve as a "preliminary overview and as a basis for further work by our technical staff."
OMB Director Ira Mills, Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull, IRB Director Claudette Farrington, Tax Assessor Roy Martin, Bureau of Economic Research Director Angela Ramos-Michael, Public Finance Authority Director Amadeo I.D. Francis and Chief Labor Negotiator Karen Andrews are all scheduled to testify on Monday.
