Taxicab Head Quits, Blames Board

The executive director of the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission resigned Friday, saying Sunday that the commission’s board of directors was unprofessional, disrespectful, and unnecessarily political.

Linda Smith, on the job less than a year, had hoped to organize the troubled agency responsible for all for-hire cars in the territory. The nine-member commission board appointed by the governor, however, was a less than helpful partner, she said.

“We need to change that board. It’s not gonna get any better. The Dalai Lama could come in himself and couldn’t change a thing,” she said.

“I resigned Friday because of that board,” she said. “This job is too easy for me. It’s too easy, but it’s laced with politics.”

Smith said the commission lacks basic elements of professionalism.

“They have no bylaws, no written policies and procedures, no written tenet, and not even an employee handbook. As the leader — not the leadership — as the leader of the operations, you can see where I can get into trouble easily. And I didn’t go to school for all that.”

The breaking point came while out on medical leave. Smith flew to Florida in April for emergency heart surgery, she said. Doctors made nine incisions and placed two implants in her chest, leading to an uncomfortable recovery. She only returned to St. Croix in early July.