Joint Budget Hearings take up pay rates in the AG’s office

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Attorney General's salary and benefits were discussed recently by lawmakers during their budget hearings. Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean expressed that this was the first occasion he had learned about the extensive benefits provided to the heads of government offices, which sparked a broader conversation on compensation transparency in government.

Attorney General Gwen Tauiliili-Langkilde said that her current salary stands at $124,000 annually, which is structured to include a housing allowance of $1,800 each month and a utility allowance of $500 monthly. These extras aim to facilitate the recruitment and retention of qualified attorneys in her office.

The Attorney General elaborated on the rationale behind these allowances, indicating that they constitute part of a comprehensive benefits package instituted in 2022 to make the positions within the AG’s Office more appealing to potential candidates. When Senate President Tuaolo inquired whether Deputy Attorney General Roy Hall also benefits from similar allowances, she affirmed that he does.

Tauiliili-Langkilde, who has a background as a District Court judge, pointed out that the $124,000 salary she currently receives is actually lower than her earnings in her previous judicial role. Tuaolo then posed a thought-provoking question: “So if you weren’t given these extra benefits, you wouldn’t have agreed to become Attorney General?” In response, the Attorney General calmly clarified that this assertion was inaccurate. She reiterated that the allowances had been introduced to enhance compensation in line with the market rates to attract competent attorneys.

Reflecting on the staffing situation within her office, she mentioned that in 2022, there was only one prosecutor in the AG's Office, highlighting the challenges faced in recruitment. The AG further noted that the current budget includes the allowances, which had been allocated in both the previous fiscal year and the one before it. The Attorney General said that this enhanced benefits package has had a positive impact on recruitment efforts, leading to the current office structure of six attorneys. According to the AG, a new attorney had just been hired the previous week and projected that the number would grow to nine by the end of the calendar year.

The allowances in question are categorized under Contractual Services in the AG’s budget, a classification that reflects the need for strategic financial management within the office. In closing, Senate President Fruean remarked that this hearing marked the first time he had encountered such allowances. 

House Vice Speaker Fetui Fetu has urged the Fono during joint budget hearings to require departments to detail allocations in the "All Others" and "Contractual Services" categories of their proposed budgets. He cites the Attorney General’s Office budget as a key example of why such transparency is needed. Adding that the Joint Budget Committees should ensure that future budgets include this requirement, noting that millions are allocated in these categories, and the Fono should know how the funds are spent.