A vote in the Senate today will give Governor Lolo his wish for a supplemental budget of $2.5 million for Fiscal Year 2016.
Senators endorsed the bill in second reading yesterday.
This followed a discussion by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on the appropriations measure yesterday.
Several senators asked for pet projects for their districts such as fixing roads in Alataua District which residents and frequent travelers to that part of the island have determined to have the worst roads in American Samoa.
Senator Tagoai Tuiolemotu pleaded for half of the $800,000 being proposed for road maintenance in the supplemental budget to fix roads for his district.
But Committee Chairman Senator Laolagi Vaeao said it would be a difficult task if they were to pick and choose from requests that each senator will make for his district.
He proposed that they leave the governor’s request unchanged.
Other requests came from Senator Soliai Tuipine for road and seawall improvements in Nuuuli and Sen Tuiasina Esera to protect roads in Vailoa from collapsing.
In the end, the Committee went along with Laolagi’s recommendation and the full Senate approved the supplemental bill in second reading as proposed.
The bill has already cleared the House of Representatives so once its approved in third reading today by the Senate, it will be enrolled and submitted to the governor for his signature.
The funding source for the supplemental budget includes $1.3 million that was returned from Vietnam, $992,000 that the governor line item vetoed in the Fono, Judiciary and Visitors Bureau budgets when he signed the FY2016 budget law, and $300,000 in anticipated cargo charges on the MV Sili.
The additional funding other than what will be restored to the budgets of the visitors Bureau, Fono and Judiciary are all assigned for projects and services under Special Programs, controlled by the Governor’s Office.
The Speaker and Senate President have indicated that the Fono will be taking a recess after next week but the duration of the break has not been decided, or at least disclosed.
The leaders say that committees can continue to hold hearings during the break.
