ST. CROIX — The chair of the Legislature’s committee that oversees finances questioned the ability to identify $200,000 to fund hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean as requested by the executive branch considering the territory is facing a $90 million budget deficit this fiscal year due to declining revenue collections.
Senator Donna Frett-Gregory, Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance chair, said she is not certain where the Legislature would identify the requested funding to provide relief to Caribbean countries impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
“I’ve been conducting budget hearings for the past, I would say about four to six weeks, and every agency that has come before us, particularly when we had the meeting with the government's financial team, they did share with us that we have a $90 million deficit this year,” she said.
After hearing about the budget deficit from Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s financial team, Frett-Gregory said lawmakers moved legislation requiring the executive branch to devise a spending plan outlining how it will address the deficit.
“I think it’s due sometime in August because the government has to dial back its expenses in order for us to fall inside of that $90 million,” she said.
Despite the government’s grim financial status, Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach on Tuesday announced that the administration has requested the Legislature to provide $200,000 in aid to the people of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as communities in the Eastern Caribbean affected by Hurricane Beryl.
“Hurricane Beryl has left a trail of destruction, causing immense hardship for countless families,” Roach said from Government House on St. Croix. “Homes have been destroyed, communities have been uprooted, and lives have been changed irrevocably. Our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters who are enduring this unimaginable suffering. In times like these, it is our moral obligation to extend a helping hand and to stand in solidarity with those in need, just as we have been many times in the past.”
While the executive branch lobbies the Legislature to identify the requested hurricane-relief funding, Government House announced on April 3 that the governor had successfully completed a trade mission to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
During his visit, Bryan met with Saboto Caesar, St. Vincent and the Grenadines minister of Agriculture. They discussed the potential for increased produce exports from St. Vincent to the Virgin Islands and the emerging opportunities within St. Vincent’s cannabis industry. Bryan expressed his optimism about the prospects for increased collaboration between the Virgin Islands and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“Our visit has reaffirmed the strong bonds between our territories and highlighted exciting opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships,” Bryan said in a statement. “I am confident that by working together, we can harness the potential of our respective economies and create lasting prosperity for our people.”
When it comes to fulfilling the lieutenant governor’s $200,000 request, Frett-Gregory pointed out the government’s financial limitations.
“It’s not realistic,” she said.
Frett-Gregory noted that the government recently had to “raid” its rainy-day fund to support the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, as well as that the Legislature approved $3 million last month to cover costs associated with the Medicaid program. She further noted testimony provided Tuesday that the Virgin Islands National Guard has 64 vendors who have not been paid since last year. She even discussed the deteriorating road conditions she observed while traveling on St. Croix, noting that a traffic cone was placed in the middle of a large pothole.
“We just have to take care of what’s happening on the ground here in the Virgin Islands from a government perspective,” she said. “Putting the Legislature in a position like that, I think is irresponsible.”
Roach, during Tuesday’s press conference, announced that the Hurricane Beryl Relief Effort was being spearheaded by the government in cooperation with the Department of Tourism. In addition to the aid the administration requested through the Legislature, Roach urged all residents to make contributions by reaching out to Deputy Tourism Commissioner RoseAnne Farrington at 340-626-1237, calling his office at 340-773-6449 on St. Croix or 340-774-2991 in the St. Thomas/St. John District, or via the VI Territorial Emergency Management Agency’s website at vitema.vi.gov.
“It is important to remember that your support, no matter how small you might imagine it to be, can bring hope and assistance to those who need it most,” he said. “Let us come together as a community not only to provide immediate relief, but also to reaffirm our commitment to resilience and preparedness. Our strength lies in our unity, and together we can overcome any challenge.”
Frett-Gregory suggested conducting community drives as an alternative to having the Legislature appropriate aid to the Caribbean nations severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
“As a community, it’s important that we assist our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean,” she said. “And I think that we could do that by conducting community drives, by engaging our community, our businesses and individuals to support this endeavor.”
Additionally, Frett-Gregory pointed out that Congress has provided $4.5 million in aid to support the countries impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett issued a statement Tuesday expressing gratitude to her congressional colleagues and the U.S. Agency for International Development for the immediate humanitarian assistance of $4.5 million to Caribbean communities impacted by the hurricane. She said the assistance ensures that Caribbean communities impacted by Hurricane Beryl, including those in Grenada, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, “have our support.”
Plaskett said immediately after learning of the impact the hurricane had on “our Caribbean neighbors,” she reached out to Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), who serves on the Appropriations Committee as the ranking Democrat for the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. She said she was deeply grateful to USAID for providing the critical funding, and to Lee for working with her office to elevate this issue and ensure the availability of funds.
“This assistance will be used to repair shelters, address water and sanitation needs, support operations, and bolster overall relief efforts,” Plaskett said in a statement. “Given the unpredictability of hurricane activity, it is essential that we remain engaged with our Caribbean communities, partners, and local governments to support and strengthen disaster preparedness and response efforts.”
