President Buu Nygren signs $4.1 million funding legislation as part of commitment to moving delegate region projects forward
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and his administration have been on a roll this past week.
The Navajo Nation President signed several legislations. One legislation was sponsored by Navajo Nation Council Delegate Germaine Simonson, who represents Hard Rock, Forest Lake, Pinon, Black Mesa, and Whippoorwill.
The President approved the Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Fund Delegate Regional Project Plan for $4,140,047.47.
“My Administration supports the plans of these Chapters who have worked very hard to put together their Regional Plans and is working very closely with the Fiscal Recovery Fund Office to ensure that these funds are put to use,” said President Nygren.
As such, when chapters run into roadblocks in expending their Fiscal Recovery Funds, or FRF, and the roadblock is coming from the executive branch, Nygren said he encourages them to reach out and inform the Office of the President and Vice President of the roadblock
“We will work to overcome those roadblocks,” the President said.
Through resolution No. CJN-29-22, the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee and Navajo Nation Council allocated more than $1 billion of the Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Funds, or NNFRF, for chapter and other projects on the Navajo Nation.
The NNFRF will fund public safety emergency communications, E-911, rural addressing, water, broadband, electricity, housing, bathroom additions, and other projects.
The NNFRF was signed into law in July 2022. The Navajo Nation approved total funding for the NNFRF Chapter and Chapter Projects Expenditure Plan from the Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Fund for $211,256,148.
President Nygren indicated the Council expects the NNFRF to be encumbered by June 30, 2024. And if any changes to the regional plans are made, they must be approved by the Council.
“This deadline is not far off. As a construction expert, I know that unpredictable factors can prevent even the best of plans from moving forward on the proposed timeline,” said the President. “We should be designing systems that are flexible, accountable, and transparent.”
He added that any funding that isn’t spent by next June, the money would go to Hardship.
“I’m trying to push these out to the chapters. That way, they can identify, procure, get a lot of those projects going,” said President Nygren.
Simonson said the five chapters she represents already know how they’d apply for the funding once they receive it.
“We plan to work with the chapters and help them prepare. My legislative district aid will hit every chapter, and we will start doing some inventory. In terms of CHID (Community Housing Infrastructure Department), to see where families are at in the homesite lease process — how could we be of help to them?” Simonson told the President.
President Nygren said he was happy to see the chapters in Simonson’s area use the funding to construct water lines, repair and replace leach fields, and build homes for families.
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