ST. CROIX — The Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission’s governing board has terminated Vernice Gumbs, who served her last day as executive director Thursday, according to the board chair.
“The board is now transitioning in a different direction, and the former executive director is transitioning out,” Elizabeth Hansen Watley, VITCC board chair, said.
Gumbs said she received a letter via email Thursday night informing her of her termination due to her “continued insubordination to the VITCC board.”
“I have not had a meeting, I have not had due process, I had not had anything, so I can’t tell you anything differently outside of that — what is stated there,” she said.
Gumbs, who noted the claims of insubordination are inaccurate, said she felt her termination was unjust. She said she plans to challenge the board’s decision. She said she will begin by looking into any administrative options available to her whether it be an appeal at the VITCC level or through the Public Employees Relations Board.
“The first step would be to verify whether or not there’s any administrative actions that needs to be taken or that can be taken, and if there’s none, then the next step will be legal action,” she said. “No matter what the situation, everyone is entitled to due process. I’m no different.”
Watley said the board’s move comes at a time when the Taxicab Commission has been struggling. She said the Commission is now heading in a direction where the board members collectively feel the agency would be in a better position to serve the people of the Virgin Islands. She acknowledged there is much work to be done.
“The Taxi Commission has been the point of many persons’ scrutiny, lack of services and so forth,” she said. “We collectively have decided that there needs to be a change where we can improve services and address concerns that have been long plaguing the agency.”
Gumbs elevated to the Commission’s top position in September 2022 after initially serving as assistant executive director from April 2022 before leading the agency as acting executive director following the resignation in July 2022 of then-Executive Director Linda Smith. During her time at the helm of the VITCC, Gumbs said she was proud of accomplishing a level of structure when it comes to the day-to-day operations.
“Despite the challenges of not having staff, I was able to ensure that operators were able to keep their businesses open and running with as little hiccups as possible,” she said. “Monies were being accounted for and was inputted into the ERP system almost daily, regularly.”
Gumbs also discussed ongoing plans the Taxicab Commission has had to upgrade its technology.
Bringing the VITCC into the digital age has been a topic of concern among senators for the past year and a half. It has been something Gumbs and Commission board members have been contemplating, but a lack of sufficient funding has prevented the transition to an electronic-based system from the existing manual operations.
Gumbs has had a rocky time representing the Taxicab Commission over the past couple of years.
Senators vowed to overhaul the Commission during a Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection on May 31, 2023 after hearing about ongoing issues to include outdated rules and regulations, the closure of the St. Thomas office for 10 weeks due to mold remediation, plans to convert the manual operations to an online system, and the need for additional staff, enforcement officers and board members.
“We have a major crisis on our hands with the Taxicab Commission,” Senator Carla Joseph, who chaired the committee during the May 31, 2023 meeting, said at the time.
The Senate approved Bill No. 35-0036 (Act No. 8735) on July 20, 2023 to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the board while allowing the executive director to manage the Commission’s day-to-day operations. Bill No. 35-0186, a measure introduced on October 27, 2023 to place the Commission under the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, never got approved. The VITCC never upgraded its operations to a digital format either.
While updating senators on the operations of the VITCC during a Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection on December 18, 2023, Gumbs said the Commission’s board selected Omni Systems on September 29, 2023 as the preferred vendor to implement the digitization project for about $500,000. She said, however, the VITCC lacked funding to move the project forward.
The financial condition of the Taxicab Commission was something senators attempted to understand when Gumbs appeared before the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on March 19, 2024. Gumbs was, however, unable to provide a thorough accounting of the Commission’s revenues. Gumbs continued talking about the Commission’s plans to transform its paper records into an electronic database and the recruitment of employees during the agency’s fiscal year 2025 budget hearing on July 12, 2024. The VITCC had five employees at the time.
After terminating Gumbs, the board immediately appointed Melissa Smith as acting executive director, according to Watley. She said Smith initially came to the agency on loan from another department, allowing the Taxicab Commission to get support while struggling with numerous job vacancies.
Gumbs said the VITCC only has one administrative assistant on St. Croix and one enforcement officer on St. Thomas in addition to Smith, noting a cashier resigned two weeks ago. She said Smith has worked for the Commission for a couple of months at a time. Gumbs said when she came on board in 2022, Smith assisted with inputting daily revenue collections into the ERP system.
“Because I had no help and I reached out for assistance, she came over as a loaner employee to do just that,” Gumbs said, adding that Smith was on loan from the Virgin Islands Police Department. “Now to the extent of her knowledge base of what is happening and the ins and outs of Taxicab Commission, I am not aware.”
After collaborating with Smith, Watley said the board decided to appoint her to lead the agency in an acting capacity to maintain stability while it makes internal improvements.
“We will do what is necessary to make sure that we have leadership,” Watley said. “It’s a very important role. It comes with a lot of responsibility. However, at this time, we’re doing what is best to make sure that we can keep the doors of the Taxi Commission open.”
