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Governor Albert Bryan on Wednesday presented a supplemental budget bill to the 35th Legislature with the intent of redirecting funds from the FY2023 capital projects originally designated to the Public Finance Authority.
According to Government House, the budgetary reshuffling chiefly comprises an appropriation of $25 million from the General Fund to settle retroactive wages for both current and former government employees of the Virgin Islands.
Additionally, a sum of $118,800 is earmarked for the Office of Veterans Affairs, specifically to cater to the added costs associated with the crypts on St. Croix. The V.I. Department of Public Works will also receive a budgetary boost, with $5 million allocated from the Transportation Trust Fund, which will primarily focus on an array of road maintenance initiatives.
Governor Bryan's proposal also sheds light on the reallocation of funds contained within Act No. 8617. This reallocation will primarily finance the construction of crypts and columbarium in St. Croix. Moreover, it emphasizes the government’s commitment to settling the backlog of retroactive wages owed to its workforce, encompassing active, separated, and retired employees, according to the administration.
In another change, the allocation of $300,000 through Act. No. 8448, originally directed to the pier at Kings Alley in Christiansted, St. Croix, will undergo an amendment. Post-amendment, $100,000 from these funds will support the Department of Planning and Natural Resources’ Division of Libraries and Museums. Simultaneously, the Hull Bay Boat Ramp and Parking Improvements Project will benefit from the reassignment of the remaining $200,000.
Lastly, Act. No. 8640 will undergo an amendment, green-lighting the allocation of $5 million from the Transportation Trust Fund to the Department of Public Works. This fund is slated to sponsor pivotal road maintenance tasks, with St. Croix’s Mahogany Road project and the Estate Nazareth and Estate Bovoni Road repair projects standing out as notable beneficiaries.
