14 GovGuam agencies spent nearly $290K on public notices over past 2 years
By Haidee Eugenio Gilbert Pacific Daily News | Nov 7, 2023
At least 14 government of Guam agencies on Monday said they spent nearly $290,000 in mandated public notices of procurement or bids and announcements of meetings over the past two fiscal years, even as Sen. Roy Quinata’s committee looks at ways to balance the need for transparency with keeping up with the digital time.
Another agency, the Department of Land Management, said they spent more than $14,000 in fiscal 2022 and 2023 on public notices but those costs were shouldered by applicants going through the Guam Land Use Commission process.
These are on top of costs associated with sanitizing, disposing of or shredding old documents, the agencies said.
“Public notices play a vital role in fostering transparency and accountability in our democratic society. However, the expenses associated with the conventional methods like newspapers can be a little burdensome for government agencies,” Quinata said during his committee’s informational briefing on government’s public notices and how they dispose of stored documents.
The senator said it is important to explore alternative media platforms that “not only match but surpass the reach of traditional forms of media.”
By doing this, he said, it ensures effective dissemination of information to the public.
Quinata said he and his policy team are actively exploring and transitioning towards modern and more accessible methods for disseminating public notices “by embracing digital platforms, websites, social media so we can significantly reduce costs while simultaneously expanding our reach and fostering engagement.”
This not only enhances public awareness, he said, but also reduces government expenses.
Representatives from 15 GovGuam agencies presented their expenses and the number of bids and other public notices they had to issue and pay for, as required by the Open Government Law and other statutes.
Guam Election Commission Executive Director Maria Pangelinan said GEC issued 44 public notices in 2022 and 30 in 2023, with a total cost of $73,555.
Public Works Director Vince Arriola said his agency issued or expects to issue a total of 80-plus bids and other public notices in 2022 and 2023, amounting to more than $50,000.
But it’s the Department of Public Health and Social Services that spent the most, with 344 public notices in 2022 and 2023, amounting to some $82,000 to $83,000, according to DPHSS’s Peter John Camacho.
Agencies said they paid for requests for proposals, invitations for bids and other procurement-related advertisements in newspapers, radio, TV and other media, as well as public notices of government board or agency meetings and other announcements.