Fund results, not activity: $9,200 per resident. Where are the results?
Guam's fiscal 2027 budget totals more than $1.4 billion. Measured against Guam's estimated population, that is roughly $9,200 for every resident.
That does not mean every person pays $9,200 in taxes, nor does it mean every resident receives $9,200 in direct benefits. It is a simple way to understand the scale of the resources entrusted to government, and to ask what the public should receive in return.
The answer cannot be another announcement, appropriation, new position, purchase order, or study. Those are activities. The public is entitled to results.
A result is a school that opens safely and stays open. It is an air-conditioning unit installed and working in a classroom, not sitting in a warehouse. It is a procurement that produces a completed facility, not another canceled timetable. It is a permit issued in accordance with a published service standard. It is reliable power, responsive public health, well-maintained roads, and accountable use of public funds.
Recent events show why this distinction matters. Guam Department of Education officials said all 38 public schools were on track to open in August. Days after classes began, the Tiyan campus serving Tiyan High and Simon Sanchez students closed following a sanitary inspection failure.
The Office of Public Accountability separately reported that 286 air-conditioning units remained uninstalled in a warehouse, together with millions of dollars in questioned costs and additional financial exposure. The Simon Sanchez High School procurement was canceled and must be reset again.
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These examples do not prove that every government employee is failing or that every public dollar is wasted. Thousands of public servants work hard under difficult conditions. Schools, healthcare, public safety and infrastructure also require adequate funding.
But adequate funding must be matched by competent execution. A budget measures what government intends to spend. It does not measure whether a classroom is safe, a project is completed, a customer receives timely service or a family experiences a better quality of life.
Guam repeatedly loses the connection between money, responsibility, execution and results. A problem is identified. Funding is authorized. An agency announces action. Months or years later, the public is left asking who was responsible, what was completed, and why the promised result did not arrive.
We need a different operating standard: fund results, not activity.
Every major public commitment should identify the existing problem, the official responsible for correcting it, the full cost and funding source, the completion deadline, the measure of success, and the corrective action that will follow if the deadline is missed. Those commitments should be placed on a public dashboard and updated regularly.
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That standard should apply across administrations and political parties. It should apply whether government is using local tax revenue, federal grants, military-related revenue, or Section 30 funds. One-time revenue should address verified one-time needs and reduce future risk. It should not quietly create permanent payroll or recurring programs that taxpayers must support after the temporary money disappears.
Through Project Prosperity, the Chamber and participating organizations are asking candidates to move beyond broad promises.
For Priority 2: Government that Works, we propose a direct test: What three government services will you improve during your first 100 days? Who will be responsible, and what measurable results should residents be able to verify?
A meaningful answer should name the services, responsible officials, deadlines, and public measures. It should also explain what will happen if the administration misses its own targets. Another task force, strategic plan, or press conference is not a completed result.
This is not an argument for reflexively cutting government, nor is it a defense of every expenditure. It is an argument for competent government. Government that sets priorities, manages assets, completes projects, reports honestly, and corrects failure quickly.
Residents should not have to wait for an audit, legislative hearing, or crisis to learn that a project is late, equipment is unused, or a basic service is failing. Performance information should be current, understandable, and public.
The question before Guam is not simply how much government should spend. It is what government will deliver with the resources it already receives.
Guam has funded the promises. Now residents deserve to see the performance. We encourage all voters to ask candidates these questions and then go out to the polls and vote. Early voting will take place from Oct. 8 to 28 at the Westin Resort Guam. The general election is Nov. 3.
Catherine Castro is the president of the Guam Chamber of Commerce.
