ST. THOMAS, VI - The Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, chaired by Senator Novelle E. Francis, Jr. met in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall. Lawmakers received testimonies regarding the proposed FY 2027 budgets for the Judicial Branch of the Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Department of Justice, the Department of Public Works, and the Public Services Commission. 

Chief Justice Rhys S. Hodge delivered his final proposed budget presentation of $48,591,590. In addition to this, there is a separate request of $144,743 for the Judicial Council, which partially funds the staffing for the District Court law libraries, as well as a corrected request for funding totaling $1,527,872 for the office of Conflict Council. Of the proposed budget, $25,468,953 is for salaries; $11,827,806, $2,292,346 for capital expenditures, as well as another $2.6 million for utilities and supplies. Hodge outlined in his testimony that there are 309 filled positions, 174 in the St. Thomas- St. John district, 135 in St. Croix with 62 vacancies. Chief Justice Hodge indicated that the budget request is conservative and only reflects the bare minimum needed to operate the Judicial Branch. Hodge added that there are urgent needs for the Judiciary, such as needed major repairs, as well as completion of the R.H. Amphlett Leader Justice Complex project, which has suffered delays due to insufficient funding.  

Hodge stated that the Judiciary continues to experience a high level of employee turnover. Thirty-five judicial branch employees are eligible to retire in 2026 and twenty-three are eligible to retire in 2027. So far in Fiscal Year 2026, thirty-five employees have separated, twenty-eight employees were hired, and eighteen employees were promoted.  

Gordon C. Rhea, Esq., Attorney General of the Virgin Islands delivered a proposed General Fund budget of $18,786,275 from the General Fund. This budget is expected to cover salaries and associated fringe costs for 168 positions. There are 20 vacancies. The FY 2027 request was increased slightly from last year, increasing by 1.4%.  

Rhea said that across the Department’s divisions, workloads remain high. Staffing in the department remains limited to five attorneys in the Civil Division, currently litigating 243 cases. The Solicitor General’s Division is reviewing hundreds of contracts and handling appeals with only four attorneys. The Criminal division is currently prosecuting a large number of violent crimes with understaffed teams. Specialized units in the Department have reported a need for critical vacancies, such as investigators, analysists, forensic systems, and modernized systems.  

Derek A. Gabriel, Commissioner of the Department of Public Works, presented a proposed general fund budget of $24,303,120. Gabriel testified that the department has a total of 200 current positions with 33 vacancies.  

Gabriel mentioned the various initiatives that had been undertaken by the Department, including the shift to a fully digitized permit platform, territorial transit upgrades, which include 28 new VITRAN vehicles, the Spirit of 1733 ferry, and more than $200 million in roadway improvements. The Department has also stabilized several storm damaged sites, and managed numerous active capital projects, including the reconstruction of the Arthur Richards K-8 School. Additionally, Gabriel voiced concern over issues such as rising material costs, wage increases, and workforce shortages.  

The final budget presentation of the day was delivered by Sandra Setorie, Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Public Services Commission. Setorie presented a proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget of $2,395,129.  Setorie’s testimony detailed that the PSC has always operated within its budget and has never required supplemental appropriations. However, the PSC’s current financial strain has stemmed from WAPA and VIWMA not paying for their long-standing statutory assessments. Because these assessments have not been paid, the PSC has been forced to suspend major rate investigations, delaying infrastructure oversight, threatening its ability to pay consultants, and its ability to meet payroll.  

Setorie also detailed recent regulatory actions into the performance of WAPA, such as its financial sustainability, generation reliability, and water system compliance. Many of these investigations have been halted due to nonpayment of assessments. Setorie added that there has been a sharp rise in customer complaints, especially those concerning WAPA’s billing accuracy, meter failures, and service delays.  Setorie urged the body to enforce compliance with the payment of the assessments.  

Senators present at today’s committee hearing were Francis Jr., Marvin A. Blyden, Ray Fonseca, Hubert L. Frederick, Kurt A. Vialet, Marise C. James, Kenneth L. Gittens, and Carla J. Joseph.  

The Division of Public Affairs is committed to providing the community with accurate information on legislative proceedings and other events at the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. Visit legvi.org.  

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