In a video message Wednesday, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said she will not abandon the plan for a new hospital in Mangilao – and infrastructure that would support the households of central Guam.
On Tuesday, lawmakers rejected her bill that would authorize the use of $104 million in American Rescue Plan Act to install power and water in Mangilao. The governor said their action could put Guam at risk of losing the federal money, which had to be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024, and which must be spent by Dec. 31 of next year.
Attorney General Douglas Moylan has raised legal objections to the plan, and some senators questioned the wisdom of disregarding the attorney general’s legal opinion.
Leon Guerrero said the agreements were drafted by Guam Power Authority and Guam Waterworks Authority, but “the attorney general refused to act.”
“He refused even though the projects were fully reported to the U.S. Treasury. He refused even though they complied with federal ARPA rules. He refused, not because the law prohibited him from acting, but because his personal viewpoint did,” the governor said. “And so a bill became necessary—because without his signature, the utilities could not legally proceed, and federal deadlines would close in on us.”
The governor drafted a bill, which she said was revised to address concerns raised by senators.
“The Legislature had two choices: One path—to allow GPA and GWA to install the utilities that would support a new hospital and improve daily life for central residents. The other path — the attorney general’s path — a path of delay, denial, and the near-certain return of $104 million to Washington,” she said.
The Legislature voted 10-2 against the plan.
During the special session on Tuesday, senators said they needed more information about the plan, and they wanted to question officials with the utilities. They said the project lacked transparency, and there was no consensus on the construction of a new hospital complex in Mangilao.
The governor accused lawmakers of abandoning the community.
“Now we wait for their plan — their plan to save this money under federal rules, their plan to build the hospital they say they support, their plan to deliver the power and water upgrades central Guam needs,” the governor said. “But the attorney general has never offered such a plan. The Legislature has not produced one either. And while they hesitate, the people of Guam pay the price for their inaction.”
Last year, the 37th Guam Legislature passed a bill that would designate Ypao Point in Tamuning as the site for a new hospital, but that legislation was vetoed by the governor.
In her address, the governor said she would not give up on the Mangilao project.
“Hear me clearly: I will not abandon you. I will not abandon our hospital. I will not abandon the infrastructure upgrades our island needs,” the governor said. “And I will not abandon the belief that Guam deserves better than this moment.”
