As of December 2024, the government of Guam now has about $12.2 million in anticipated revenue that has yet to be designated for any specific expenses.
According to the Guam Daily Post, this is a major upgrade from the previous month’s deficit of $1.8 million. However, the $12.2 million is still insufficient to fund another 3-month extension of the Prugråman Ayuda Para i Taotao-ta Energy Credit Program. The energy credit bill proposal would cost 15.8 million dollars but the funding is not fully available yet.
The extension of the energy credit program, a popular initiative, could help offset high energy costs for residents and is determined to find additional funding. But Governor Lou Leon-Guerrero previously vetoed a measure that would have funded the program due to the money being unavailable for months to come, thus delaying the extension process.
Additionally, several bills introduced in the 38th Guam Legislature propose to allocate the excess general fund revenue to various projects instead. These include:
- $4 million for the University of Guam repairs, maintenance and capital improvements
- $1 million for a program that helps small businesses
- $1 million for the Hågat mayor’s office to renovate old fire and police stations into a multipurpose facility
- $10 million for the Department of Public Works to fund road resurfacing and street projects
- $3.5 million to the Guam Preservation Trust for the rehabilitation of an elementary school in Humåtak
Its allocation is under debate depending on whether revenues continue to rise or not.