Government retirees elected St. Croix Board of Elections Chairman Adelbert Bryan and Lori Anderson of St. Thomas to represent St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John retirees, respectively, on the V.I. Government Employees’ Service Commission Group Health Insurance Board, according to an announcement by the Division of Personnel on Friday.
The GESC negotiates government health insurance contracts.
The V.I. Legislature passed legislation in 2012 increasing the board from seven to nine members, with the two new members to be government retirees from each district. The measure was one of a dozen or more unrelated legislative items attached to a mundane, uncontroversial bill, including an increase in tobacco excise taxes. (See related links below)
Senate supporters of the measure argued at the time that retirees should have a seat at the GESC board because its decisions affect many government retirees who continue to receive health insurance through the employee system.
Gov. John deJongh Jr. vetoed several of the legislative actions codified in the bill, including the aforementioned tax increase, but enacted the GESC change and other portions of the bill in December.
During voting by retirees this Tuesday and Wednesday, Anderson beat out Glen Smith for the St. Thomas/St. John spot and Bryan bested V.I. Board of Education member Winona Hendricks and Debra Ann Christopher.
“I would like to congratulate the individuals who were successful in this election and I also want to thank the retirees for participating in this process so they could be represented on the Health Insurance Board," Personnel Director Kenneth Hermon said in a statement announcing the election results.
