SAIPAN — Senate Vice President Corina L. Magofna has called on the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture to account for payments owed to artists and cultural practitioners who she says have waited months, and in many cases more than a year, to be compensated for work already done.
In a June 1 letter to CCAC Director Gloriana Teuira, Magofna said she was writing on behalf of artists and service providers who received prior approval from the council to take part in its programs and activities and who have fulfilled their contractual and programmatic obligations but remain unpaid. She said the practitioners deserve clear answers about the status of their payments and an explanation for the continued delays.
Magofna, who chairs the Senate Committee on Resources, Economic Development and Workforce, warned that prolonged nonpayment could expose the government to claims for breach of contract, administrative grievances and other legal actions. She also cautioned that because many CCAC programs are supported by grants and federally funded initiatives subject to expenditure deadlines, failure to obligate and spend the money on time could lead to grant expiration, de-obligation of funds and reduced future funding for the Commonwealth.
She tied the urgency to economic hardship in the wake of Super Typhoon Sinlaku and the 100 percent fuel adjustment charge increase imposed by the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, saying the compensation owed represents income many households need to meet essential obligations.
The letter makes five requests of the council, including a complete accounting of all outstanding payments, the amount owed to each recipient and its funding source, an explanation of the barriers causing the delays, the status of pending payment requests and a projected timeline for issuing the payments. Magofna also recommended that CCAC conduct a reconciliation of unpaid obligations, establish a payment task force, coordinate with the Department of Finance, develop a payment tracking system and set internal deadlines to prevent future delays.
Magofna said that if substantial progress is not demonstrated within a reasonable timeframe, she is prepared to convene an oversight hearing to examine the delays and work toward a permanent resolution.
