Vialet Bill Moves $4M From Insurance Guaranty Fund to WAPA for Streetlight Repairs as OMB Pushes Back

Despite objections from the Office of Management and Budget over the proposed funding source, the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance has approved legislation to transfer $4 million from the Insurance Guaranty Fund to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to address widespread streetlight failures across the territory. The funding is authorized under Bill No. 36-0210 and is intended for the repair, replacement, and operation of streetlights territory-wide. Nonfunctioning streetlights have long been a public concern, leaving many neighborhoods in darkness and raising safety issues for motorists and pedestrians alike. As of Monday, December 15, officials reported 437 damaged streetlamps across the territory. The bill was sponsored by Senator Kurt Vialet, who attributed much of the streetlighting backlog to unpaid government obligations. He told committee members that the Government of the Virgin Islands has “not paid the required amount to keep street lights ...