House of Assembly lawmakers unanimously approved a four-month stopgap funding measure on Monday, buying the legislature more time to concoct a complete 2017 budget.
Lawmakers will have until April 30to pass the 2017 Appropriations Act.
Monday’s motion will withdraw about $111.5 million from the territory’s consolidated fund, of which $99.7 million is earmarked for recurrent budget needs, $6.8 million for already-approved capital projects, and $5 million for the reserve fund.
“We always try to have the budget before the end of the year so we can go forward into the New Year with that all settled,” Premier Dr. Orlando Smith (R-at large) said during Monday’s sitting, adding, “But sometimes — and it has happened several times in the past — it is necessary to delay the accounting of the budget vote because one has to get things sorted out. In fact, one of the important things that one has to get sorted out is a review of the capital projects that you intend to do.”
A similar $110 million “provisional warrant” was passed at the end of 2015, to account for the first four months of this year. The official budget passed at the end of March.
See the Dec. 22, 2016 edition for full coverage.
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