Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Pula and Pulu Administration has presented a detailed proposed supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2026 to the Fono, totaling $744,000. This supplemental budget aims primarily to restore funding for the salaries of directors and deputy directors — positions that the Fono had previously reduced or eliminated from the original Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

The proposed appropriations are broken down as follows:

Administrative Law Judge: $130,000

American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency: $85,000

Office of Disaster Assistance and Petroleum Management (ODAPM): $85,000

Office of Public Defender: $85,000

Arts Council: $80,000

Office of Property Management: $80,000

Criminal Justice Planning Agency: $80,000

Governor’s Office: $50,000

American Samoa Hawaii Office: $15,000

Technology Office: $14,000

Medicaid: $10,000

Insurance Commissioner: $10,000

Veterans Affairs: $10,000

American Samoa Resiliency Office: $5,000

Vocational Rehabilitation: $5,000

Sports Complex: $5,000

In addition to salary restoration, the administration's proposal outlines significant changes in the structure and titles of several key positions.

For the Veterans Affairs Office, the American Samoa Resiliency Office, the American Samoa Hawaii Office, and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the title of "Director" will be changed to "Manager." This change, the admin says, aims to reflect a shift towards a more streamlined management structure. Accordingly, the titles of deputy directors in these offices will be elevated to "Assistant Managers," thereby clarifying the chain of command and support.

Moreover, it was indicated that the position of Director for the Office of Disaster Assistance and Petroleum Management (ODAPM) will be submitted to the Fono for confirmation to ensure compliance with procedural requirements. 

Regarding the Medicaid program, the proposal explicitly states that the head of this office should ideally be a qualified professional manager who operates independently of political influence, thereby ensuring that decisions regarding Medicaid services are based on best practices and community needs rather than political considerations.

It should be noted that the salary eliminations by the Fono were in keeping with their belief that the heads/ directors of these offices had not being submitted for confirmation to the Fono and therefore were not valid office-holders. The governor however continued to pay their salaries, which the Fono said disregarded or disrespected their authority, and was against the law.

Samoa News should also point out that changing the title of Director to Manager that the admin is indicating is in keeping with the governor’s belief that these offices are under the purview of the Governor’s Office and do not necessitate confirmation by the Fono. This includes the head of the Medicaid/ Medicare program.

According to the Admin, this proposed supplemental budget and the accompanying changes are positioned as critical steps towards enhancing the operational effectiveness of these offices and ensuring that crucial services remain adequately funded and managed.

There has been no word so far when or if the Fono will reconvene for a Special Session.