Business

Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Bill Of $720 Million Heads To Governor; Includes Several Amendments

ST. THOMAS -- Governor Kenneth Mapp is expected to sign into law Bill No. 31-0403, the government's fiscal year 2017 budget bill totaling $720 million (actual amount is $719.84), which covers operating costs for a myriad of agencies, semiautonomous entities and departments. As has always been the case with such measures, 31st Legislature senators tacked on a surfeit of amendments to the main bill. Below are some of the bigger additions: Making available extra funding for the Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged for additional staff Some $20,000 in funds set aside through the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation for the expansion of the St. Croix Central High School library, to be redistributed for a construction of a skateboard park in St. Croix $500,000 from the Virgin Islands Education Initiative Fund for the implementation of what has been dubbed "structured civics classes" in the territory's schools. $1 million for the training and hiring of school monitors in...