DPNR Faces Staffing Crisis Amid 20% Budget Cut; Lawmakers Urge Solutions

Legislators push for hosting employment drives, raising salaries, and strategic adjustments to fill 30 federally funded vacancies in the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, which is grappling with low morale and high turnover

Lawmakers on the Committee of Budget, Finance and Appropriations on Tuesday made several suggestions on how the Department of Planning and Natural Resources could fill key vacancies in the face of an over 20 percent budget cut.

While defending his department’s budget request, DPNR Commissioner Jean Pierre Oriol noted that the agency is having difficulty filling approximately 30 federally funded vacancies, eliciting major concern from legislators. Senator Diane Capeheart, who previously worked at DNPR, expressed her concern with the issue. “You've had a mass exodus of individuals leave your department. Your morale is low, and there's no one coming to work for DPNR,” she argued. Characterizing DPNR as the “fourth biggest revenue generating department for the Government of the Virgin Islands,” Ms. Capeheart urged Mr. Oriol to prioritize hiring.