Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Government has submitted its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the Fono, outlining a total spending plan of $789.3 million — a 2 percent decrease from the FY 2026 budget.

The submission of the FY 2027 budget marks the beginning of the Fono’s review process, with lawmakers set to reconvene this Monday, July 27th, to open hearings, question agency heads, and consider any adjustments before the budget moves toward final passage.

According to the budget documents, Local Revenues are projected at $137.9 million, also down 2 percent from the current fiscal year. Enterprise Funds total $338.2 million, Federal Grants account for $301.4 million, and Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) are budgeted at $11.9 million.

Breakdown of Local Revenue Allocations:

Of the local revenue portion, the largest share — $98.4 million, or 14.1 percent — is earmarked for Contractual Services.

Other major categories include:

All Others — $13 million (9.5%)

Materials and Supplies — $3.9 million (2.8%)

Travel — $2.3 million (1.7%)

Equipment — $594,725 (0.4%)

Special Programs: Funding decreases 7.1 percent, from $20.6 million to $19.1 million.

Branch‑by‑Branch Funding Changes:

The proposed FY 2027 budget reflects reductions in two of the three branches of government:

Executive Branch: Local revenue funding decreases 0.6 percent, from $104.1 million to $103.5 million.

Judicial Branch: Funding drops 18.4 percent, from $4.2 million to $3.4 million

Fono: The Legislature’s budget remains unchanged at $11.7 million, fully supported by local revenues.

Government Workforce Declines: The proposed FY 2027 budget covers a government workforce of 7,006.7 employees, a 6 percent reduction from last year’s total of 7,492.04. The largest decrease is among Career Service Employees, whose numbers fall 8 percent, from 5,895.78 to 5,425.77.

Contract Employees see a smaller decline of 1 percent, dropping from 1,596.26 to 1,580.40.