Senator Kurt Vialet is yet again pressing the Executive Branch for answers after what he describes as a continued failure to implement the mandated minimum salary increase for Government of the Virgin Islands employees. The senator says the delay has persisted despite the Legislature’s June 27, 2025, override of Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s veto, a move that set an October 1 implementation date and gave the administration several months to prepare.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Vialet said the law should have been executed on schedule. “This law was enacted months ago,” he noted. “From June 27th to October 1st, there was more than enough time to prepare, process, and finalize these NOPAs. Yet here we are, beyond the implementation date, and employees still have not received their legally mandated raises. That is unacceptable.”

The contentious piece of legislation, authored by Senator Vialet, raised the minimum annual salary of full-time government workers from $27,040 to $35,000. The increase also applies to full-time employees of semi-autonomous entities and independent instrumentalities. The wage increase should have taken effect on October 1, 2025. 

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has repeatedly cautioned that a full financial assessment must include ripple effects, such as salary and fringe-benefit increases for higher-paid employees seeking to maintain wage separation. According to figures cited by the governor and an analysis by the GVI finance team, this “cascade” of raises could push the total cost of implementation to between $27 million and $40 million. The Consortium has learned that several departments have struggled with implementation, including at least one agency that must now secure millions in additional funding to raise the salaries of employees who were already earning $35,000.

Vialet pointed out that the total number of Notices of Personnel Action needed to implement the increase is fewer than 700 and questioned why the processing has progressed so slowly. He asked whether the holdup reflects “deliberate inaction, bureaucracy, or failures within agency offices,” and called on the administration to issue a clear explanation to both public workers and the community.

“We need answers,” Vialet said. “Is this delay the result of deliberate inaction, bureaucracy, or failures within agency offices? Have any directives been issued to ensure compliance with the law? The public deserves a clear explanation.”

Vialet stressed that the cost of living continues to climb and said government workers, particularly those in essential roles, should not be left waiting indefinitely for raises established by law. “The community deserves answers,” he said. “Government workers deserve respect, and the law deserves compliance. The administration must act immediately.”

The senator reaffirmed his intention to continue monitoring the matter until the salary increases are fully implemented and reflected in employees’ paychecks.