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V.I. government agencies defend budget requests
By AMANDA NORRIS Daily News Staff
ST. THOMAS — Last week, the Senate Finance Committee heard tes- timony on fiscal year*2014 budgets from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Public Services Commission and the V.I. Econom Development Authority.
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Bureau of Motor Vehicles Director Jerris Browne defended a General Fund appropriation of $1,642,010 as sufficient to meet the bureau’s needs. The request is a 5 percent decrease, or $86,422, less than the 2013 appropriation.
Eighty-eight percent will go toward personnel services and fringe benefits, and the budget will be sup- plemented by a projected income of $1 million from the bureau’s revolv- ing funds and another $643,854
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fund, for a total operating budget of $3,285,864.
To meet fiscal constraints imposed by the governor’s 5 percent cuts to most departments to balance the fis-
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cal 2013 budget, the bureau elimi- .
nated two General Fund positions: an executive assistant and motor vehicle inspector, according to Browpe’s testimony.
The fiscal 2014 operating budget contains money for 52 positions, and to further meet fiscal obliga- tions, the bureau intends to leave unfilled two more General Fund positions, according to Browne’s testimony.
A critical hiring plan leaves room for five vacant positions to be filled, however, Browne testified.
The bureau’s accomplishments for fiscal 2013 include: completing a REAL ID card toncept design which allow for forensic analysis and provides specializéd identi fica- tions to government employees; integratting facial recognition soft- ware, providing 24 hour access to the BMV database for law enforce-
‘ ment, installing additional security
cameras and completing two grant packages for Division of Higheay Safety awards totalling $730,000 to be used to fund the motorcycle safe- ty education program and to accom- modate online vehicle registration.
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Public Services Commission
Public Services Commission Executive Director Keithley Joseph testified that it is the commission’s mission’s goal to move from being a “government organization that is reac- tive to a proactive public policy mak- ing agency with results-based management.”
The Public Services Commission is pmmarily funded through assessments levied on the utilities it regulates.
Joseph testified that the fiscal 2014 budget request from the V.I. govern- ment for the commission would be $1,620,740. This represents an increase of $57,373, or 3.54 percent, from its fiscal 2013 revenueassess- ment of $1,563,367. Pursuant to Virgin Islands Code establishing the commission and stipulating that it be 100 percent funded by fees levied to the utilities it regulates, the commis- sion’s budget request reflects what it needs to maintain operations while it collects outstanding assessment from communications, water and electric, and public transportation companies, Joseph said.
The commission’s uncollected rev-
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enues from fiscal 2013 are $384,630, according to Joseph’s testimony.
It is anticipated that in fiscal 2014, the commission will collect a total of $1,620,739 from the V.1. Water and Power Authority; VITELCO, Innovative Cable, Varlack Ventures, Transportation Services and the V.1. Waste Management Authonity, accord- ing to testimony.
A total of $1,081,113 will go toward “personal services and fringes,” according to testimony.
V.I. Economic Development Authority
V.I. Economic Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Percival Clouden requested a General Fund appropriation of $5,043,274. This amount represents an increase of $325,574, or 6.9 percent over the fiscal 2013 appropriation.
According to Clouden, the addi- tional. money is needed to match fed- eral funds for a small business incu- bator program, to institute a more aggressive marketing strategy for the Economic “Development Commission’s tax incentive program
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and to enhance computer data analy- sis programs for the Economic Development Commission and the lending divisions, according to Clouden’s testimony.
During fiscal 2013, the authority received $2 million in grants from the United States Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration to assist small and mid-size businesses in the territory. The authority also relocated its offic- es on St. Thomas, realizing a 20 per- cent savings rental costs, 48 percent in utilities and 15 percent in other related expenses, Clouden said.
Also during fiscal 2013, the authority realized a 4 percent increase in collections and saw a 37 percent decrease in the number of delinquent borrowers due to enhanced litigation efforts, Clouden said.
To date, the authority has approved $692,606 in new 2013 loans and col- lected $842,224 in outstanding accounts. The number of delinquent borrowers stands at 242, for a total of $7,470,534, according to Clouden’s testimony.
— Contact Amanda Norms at 7 14-9104 or email anorris@dailynews. vi.
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