March 1, 2018
Hagåtña – The Governor’s team is revising the timeline to complete the furlough process following the guidance of the Attorney General.
During a meeting requested by the Governor today, Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson acknowledged the serious fiscal crisis that the government is facing and noted that Guam law does permit the governor to implement employee furloughs. She said, however, that a process is required before any reduction in hours can be implemented.
The Department of Administration started the process with its letter to agencies and branches last month. Executive Order 2018-03 is being amended to reflect a new timeline and other recommended changes such as taking out all exemptions.
The Governor wants to avert a 32-hour work week or any other government shut down and continues to work with Senators on a solution. However, each day that there is no solution to the revenue shortfall, the government’s cash position worsens and makes it harder for the administration to manage cash while minimizing the negative impact to government services and employees.
The AG, in her acknowledgement of the government’s financial emergency, added that “due to the complexity and timelines” required by law, legislation could be considered to shorten or streamline “the current requirements in order to accommodate the immediate and serious fiscal crisis of the government.”