Dec. 29, 2006 — A controversial bill giving top government officials substantial pay raises has now been signed into law, despite strong negative reaction from the local community.
The bill, containing various reforms, appropriations and pay raises for senators, the governor and lieutenant governor, was submitted by Turnbull to the Legislature late Wednesday afternoon and was approved in its entirety by the Senate early Thursday morning during a special session (See Despite Ire of Some Senators, Last-Minute Bill Passes During Special Session").
In a letter sent Friday to Senate President Lorraine L. Berry, Turnbull said he would be signing the bill into law and praised senators for their "dedicated service to the people of the Virgin Islands" in considering the matter.
In his letter, Turnbull said he would also be signing into law several other bills and rezoning requests, including:
–a bill which seeks to abolish the territory's Law Revision Commission, tasked with updating and codifying local laws. The bill instead transfers the commission's employees to the newly created Office of the Revisor of Statutes, which will be established within the Legislature once the bill is signed into law;
–a request to rezone land in Estate Wheel of Fortune in Frederiksted from R-3 (residential medium density) to B-3 (business scattered) to build a laundry; and
–a request to rezone land in Estate Dorothea on St. Thomas from R-1 (residential low density) to B-3 (business scattered) to construct an office building, a fruit stand and two apartments.
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