Independent panel eyed to set salaries of Guam’s elected officials

By Jayvee Vallejera

In a move aimed at removing politics from discussions about compensation, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero proposes creating an independent commission to set the salaries of executive and legislative positions in Guam.

Lou Leon Guerrero

Leon Guerrero has transmitted a bill to the 38th Guam Legislature to establish the Guam Elected Officials’ Compensation Commission, creating a permanent, independent process to evaluate and recommend compensation for the territory’s elected officials.

Doing it this way would ensure that the salary levels, whether they go up or down, would be based on facts, not politics, says a news release from the governor’s office.

It said that talks about the salaries of elected officials have always been a controversial subject in Guam and every attempt to set salaries has been clouded by mistrust and political rhetoric, especially since it is the senators who set the salary levels.

“Every discussion about salaries, no matter how justified, has too often been seen through the lens of self-interest,” Leon Guerrero said in her letter to Speaker Frank F. Blas Jr. “This has eroded public confidence in the integrity of government and weakened our ability to have an honest conversation about the value of public service.”

Leon Guerrero said her proposal would depoliticize the process by creating an independent, data-driven body and removing salary decisions from those who directly benefit from them.

She said this recognizes a simple but vital principle: No elected official should ever set their own salary. Compensation should, instead, be determined by an objective, independent process guided by expertise, transparency and fairness.

“This bill is about restoring credibility to government,” she said. “This proposal will ensure that future decisions are guided by data and fairness.”

Under the proposed bill, the commission would review the salaries of the governor, lieutenant governor, senators, mayors and vice mayors and make recommendations based on objective data, responsibilities of office and public accountability.

It would be composed of five members: the director of the Department of Administration, the president of the Guam Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, the public auditor, the chief justice, and the chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, or their designees.

The governor’s office said this composition would ensure that the commission’s decisions would be guided by administrative expertise, human resource best practices, financial oversight and judicial integrity.

“Together, these members will provide a balanced and credible review of salaries across all branches of government, ensuring fairness and accountability,” it added.

Although she did not cite specifics, Leon Guerrero said that salary inequities exist in Guam today, where some positions with narrower duties earn more than others who carry broader, island-wide responsibilities.

According to Leon Guerrero’s bill, the commission’s work would be transparent and conducted in accordance with Guam’s Open Government Law.

No recommended salary changes would take effect until the inauguration of the next legislature. That would mean that no sitting elected official would receive any benefit from the commission’s first set of recommendations.

This safeguard ensures that any future changes are implemented fairly and without benefit to current officeholders, Leon Guerrero said, emphasizing that this effort is about good governance. not personal gain.

“The goal is to set salaries at the appropriate levels. The goal is to restore credibility to a process that for too long has lacked it,” said Leon Guerrero.

Many jurisdictions across the United States have similar independent commissions that set the salaries of elected officials. These include Washington, D.C., New York, California and 20 other states.

More than compensation, Leon Guerrero said her proposal is about trust, accountability and respect for the offices that serve Guam. “We are setting in place a transparent, evidence-based process,” said Leon Guerrero.

“This is about creating a fair, consistent process for the future,” she said. “By removing politics from the equation, we strengthen the integrity of our institutions and reaffirm that public service is about duty, not self-interest.”

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