Committee on Finance

Agenda

The Committee on Finance will consider the following bills:

Block I                                         9:30 AM-12:30 PM

Bill No. 34-0067–An Act amending title 33, Subtitle I, Part 1, chapter 3 of the Virgin Islands Code to increase the Hotel room tax by 2.5% and remit 5% of all monies collected to the Virgin Islands Government Employees Retirement System and for other purposes 

Proposed by Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff

Invited Testifiers:

Joel Lee, Director, Bureau of Internal Revenue

Austin L. Nibbs, Administrator, Government Employees Retirement System

Bosede Bruce, Commissioner Nominee, Department of Finance

Honorable Joseph B. Boschulte, Commissioner, Department of Tourism

Lisa Hamilton, President, USVI Hotel and Tourism Association

Jenifer O’Neal, Director, Office of Management and Budget

Bill No. 34-0033-An Act appropriating $2,100,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Public Works, in fiscal year ending September 30, 2021 for the purpose of expending $700,000 each in fiscal years, 2021, 2022 and 2023, to allow the Department of Public Works to contract for skilled engineering services for critically important capital projects for the Government of the Virgin Islands

Proposed by Senator Marvin A. Blyden

Invited Testifiers:

Honorable Derek Gabriel, Commissioner, Department of Public Works

Adrienne L. Williams-Octalien, Director, Office of Disaster Recovery

Jenifer O’Neal, Director, Office of Management and Budget

Bill No. 34-0039-An Act amending title 3 Virgin Islands Code, sections 706(c) and 766(c) relating to service retirement annuities to permit retired corrections officers to reenter government service and retain their service retirement annuities

Proposed by Senator Franklin D. Johnson

Invited Testifiers:

Dayna Clendinen, Director, Division of Personnel

Wynnie Testamark, Director, Bureau of Corrections of the Virgin Islands

Riel Faulkner, Assistant Director for Administration & Compliance, Bureau of Corrections of the Virgin Islands

Jenifer O’Neal, Director, Office of Management and Budget

Lunch                                          12:30pm-1:00pm

Block II                                       1:00pm-5:00pm

Bill No. 34-0077-An Act amending the FY2021 Budget to restore the 8% reduction in salaries to the employees of the Government of the Virgin Islands pursuant to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruling of November 15, 2016

Proposed by Senators Kurt A. Vialet, Donna A. Frett-Gregory, Novelle E. Francis Jr., Janelle K. Sarauw

Invited Testifiers:

Dayna Clendinen, Director, Division of Personnel

Jenifer O’Neal, Director, Office of Management and Budget

Bill No. 34-0066-An Act amending title 33 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 89 subchapter III, section 2541 to allow the Lt. Governor to collect unpaid property taxes and unpaid public sewer fees from the sale of delinquent taxpayer’s real property

Proposed by Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff

Invited Testifiers:

Brent Leerdam, Tax Collector, Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Ira Mills, Tax Assessor, Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Dolace McLean, Esq., General Counsel, Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Honorable Henry V. Carr III, Magistrate Judge, Superior Court of the Virgin Islands

Jenifer O’Neal, Director, Office of Management and Budget

Bill No. 34-0071-An Act amending Title 28 of the Virgin Islands Code by adding a new chapter 36 creating the Virgin Islands Timeshare Act

Proposed by Senator Kurt A. Vialet

Invited Testifiers:

George H.T. Dudley, Esq., Attorney, Dudley Newman Feuerzeig LLP

Dolace McLean, Esq., General Counsel, Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Robert Clements, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, American Resort Development   Association (ARDA)

Honorable Richard Evangelista, Esq., Commissioner, Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs