CNMI governor, lawmakers clash over 60-hour workweeks
By Bryan Manabat
Saipan— The Northern Mariana Islands' executive branch employees will remain on a 53-hour biweekly work schedule despite lawmakers' efforts to restore 60-hour pay periods, Gov. David M. Apatang said, warning that the government lacks sufficient funding to support the increase.
He said the government cannot afford 60 hours. “We're going to arrive at 53 hours; otherwise, we'll have no payroll for two weeks," Apatang said during a press conference Friday. "Otherwise, we'll probably have to shut down."
The governor issued the statement after the House and Senate overrode all 17 of the governor's line-item vetoes to the fiscal year 2027 budget, Public Law 24-40, including a provision requiring government employees to be compensated at a rate equivalent to at least 60 hours per pay period during the first quarter of the fiscal year.
Despite the override, Apatang said the administration will continue implementing austerity measures because the appropriated funds do not support the restored payroll requirement.
In an Oct. 30 memorandum, the governor extended the 53-hour biweekly work schedule for executive branch employees. The memorandum states that the budget's funding allocations are insufficient to support the 60-hour mandate and characterizes the provision as an unfunded requirement.
Asked whether the administration intends to implement the legislature's restored budget provisions, Apatang said officials are still working through the issue.
The governor also disclosed that the administration is working with the Office of the Attorney General to recover payroll overpayments issued to some government employees during typhoon disaster response operations.
According to Apatang, a review found that some employees received excess compensation because certain work hours were inadvertently duplicated, resulting in some workers being paid twice.
"We're working with the attorney general on that," he said.
Apatang said the government cannot simply collect the money directly and must instead work through the attorney general's office. The Department of Finance will issue notices explaining repayment requirements and options to affected employees, he said.
The governor said employees who received the overpayments knew they had received money they were not entitled to and should not have spent the funds. He added that some employees preserved the money and have already repaid it.
More than 100 Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel and other emergency responders have reportedly received overpayment notices.
According to notices issued by the Department of Finance, payroll reviews determined that certain work hours were inadvertently duplicated during administrative leave periods or after employees resumed their regular work schedules.
Employees were given repayment options, including lump-sum payments, payroll withholding, deductions from accrued annual leave, or a combination of these methods.
At the same time, the governor signed House Bill 24-107, now Public Law 24-42, authorizing the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to obtain up to $40 million in emergency financing for utility restoration, stabilization and fuel procurement following Super Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi.
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CUC officials said they have already prepared a request for proposals and are ready to seek financing from public and private lenders.
Officials emphasized that the law authorizes borrowing of up to $40 million but does not require the utility to take out a loan for the full amount. CUC plans to use borrowed funds to pay typhoon-related expenses already incurred, seek reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and then reuse recovered funds for additional recovery work.
Apatang described the financing authority as an important step toward restoring and stabilizing utility services following the storms, while stressing that emergency borrowing is not a substitute for sound financial planning and management.
