HERE AT NAABIK’IYATI COMMITTEE WHERE COMMITTEE HAS STARTED DEBATING ON LEGISLATION 0232-14, 2015 COMPREHENSIVE NAVAJO NATION GOVERNMENT OPERATING BUDGET. NOTE – I TRIED GETTING A COPY OF THE ENTIRE PROPOSED 2015 BUDGET BUT NO SUCCESS SO I’M PUTTING FORTH MY BEST EFFORT IN KEEPING UP WITH THE VERBAL REPORT BY BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRPERSON JONATHAN NEZ, WHO IS BEING ASSISTED BY NAVAJO NATION CONTROLLER MARK GRANT, NAVAJO NATION EXECUTIVE OFFICE CHIEF OF STAFF ARBIN MITCHELL, NAVAJO NATION OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGETS DIRECTOR DOMINIC BEYAL.
DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
Maybe we need to all start working towards the Council approving a Continuing Budget Resolution that would continue until November 2015, which is when the new President will take office. And then the Naabik’iyati Committee can meet with the new administration. And also in the meantime, one of the delegates can begin meeting with one of the two presidential candidates to develop a proposed 2015 budget, which wud be ready to go right after the general election.
DELEGATE WALTER PHELPS
i appreciate $9.5 million, $4 million and there is possibility of a total of $10 million for the chapters. My chapters are working with USDA rural development for low interest loans to develop community infrastructure but we found that central government doesn’t have mechanism to work with USDA Rural Development. And then we found out that USDA Rural Development wasn’t working with anyone and that Navajo Tribal Utility Authority was only one working with USDA Rural Development because it has ability to pay back loan. We cud use the proposed funding of chapters in the proposed 2015 budget as leverage to work with USDA.
NAVAJO NATION CONTROLLER MARK GRANT
if USDA has loan program then no problem. the amount of loan would decided which standing committee would approve loan and remember that there can be no waiver of navajo laws.
DELEGATE WALTER PHELPS
that’s good to hear but i’m asking about creating language in 2015 budget to allow $9.5 million for capital improvement projects at the chapter level to be used as debt service.
CONTROLLER GRANT
proposed 2015 budget language limits to CIP. and is USDA asking for loan and not matching fund? if loan, we can work with USDA.
DELEGATE PHELPS
for the record, we are saying that it’s possible. and i can take that message back now.
DELEGATE JONATHAN HALE
there is a Condition of Appropriation regarding facility maintenance shall develop rental office space and we all received memo from office of legislative counsel that facility maintenance department cannot comply with COA so I motion to delete it.
Second by Delegate Josh Butler.
VOTING ON HALE AMENDMENT TO DELETE COA at 5:08 pm
18 in favor, 0 opposed
