Senate Approves Agencies’ Money Shuffle

Nine government agencies asked the Virgin Islands Legislature Wednesday to move money around to fund projects not in their original 2023 budgets. The senators unanimously approved all the requests.

Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal and Associate Director Kimika Woods supported the appropriation transfers but urged the Senate to require the money be used by end-of-day Dec. 31.

The Department of Planning and Natural Resources requested a $560,000 appropriation transfer from its personnel and fringe budget categories to the supplies and capital outlay categories.

Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol said part of the money was to fix DPNR’s Mars Hill office, which hadn’t been updated since 2001. Another portion would go to repair the historic Gustav Quetel Fish Market in St. Thomas’ Frenchtown — patching a leaking roof, replacing damaged doors and door jambs, painting off the structure, and other repairs. Another $45,000 would go to purchase a new vehicle — likely for the St. Croix district, Oriol said.