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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesGovernor's Office Trims Fat in Budget Request

Governor's Office Trims Fat in Budget Request

Digging deep and finding new ways to get the job done while cutting costs is the governor’s mandate for the upcoming fiscal year, and officials testifying before the Senate Friday said they’ve taken up the charge in their FY 2010 budget requests.

The recommended General Fund budget for the Office of the Governor is about $10 million — $335,013 less than its FY 2009 budget appropriation. Coupled with another $171,000 in federal funds and $2.55 million in Tourism Revolving and Stripper Well funds, the office’s overall FY 2010 budget stands at $12.8 million, said Nellie Varlack, the office’s director of business and administration.

Conference calls between employees have cut down on travel expenses and government vehicles haven’t been driven around as much, saving on both gas and maintenance costs. Varlack said these are just a few of the initiatives the office plans to continue, along with consolidating vacant positions and retrofitting new and existing buildings with "green" features.

Like just about every other government agency, a large chunk of the office’s budget — about $5.1 million — is eaten up by personnel costs. The money will cover 99 General Fund positions and 17 federal and special fund positions. Fringe benefits add up to another $1.7 million, while supplies total $312,000 and utility costs are projected at $540,000.

The other services and charges category — including repairs, rent, professional services contracts and communications costs, among other things — totals $2.3 million.

Included under the Governor’s Office are the Bureau of Economic Research, Bureau of Information Technology and V.I. Energy Office.

The miscellaneous section of the FY 2010 budget also includes: $200,000 for each district’s Abandoned Vehicle program; $180,000 for the government access channel; 121,500 for annual activities; and $900,000 for Legal Services of the Virgin Islands.

Bureau of Information Technology (BIT)

BIT head John George said Friday that the bureau is in the midst of a complete overhaul of the territory’s emergency 911 system, which is expected to go live on St. Croix at the end of the month. BIT is now beginning to build related infrastructure in the St. Thomas-St. John district, he added.

The bureau’s FY 2010 General Fund budget recommendation is $2.95 million — a two percent increase over its $2.9 million FY 2009 appropriation. Another $811,372 is included in the miscellaneous section for software licensing costs ($685,372) and the installation of a new generator for the network control center on St. Thomas, bringing the agency’s total budget to $3.7 million.

Bureau of Economic Research (BER) and V.I. Energy Office (VIEO)

While the territory should begin to see an "uptick" in the economy by the end of 2010, activity is still "going to be slow" over the next two to three years, BER head Lauritz Mills told senators Friday.

The Bureau’s overall budget for FY 2010 is about $1 million — $802,406 from the General Fund, $52,000 in federal funds and $150,000 from the Tourism Revolving Fund.

And while waiting for the economy to rebound, the government is also going to be focusing on cutting its energy costs, officials said. The government uses around 60 million kilowatt hours a year, and would save $1 million if that’s cut by five percent, said VIEO Director Bevan Smith.

The Energy Office’s $2.6 million budget request includes: $75,000 from the General Fund; $119,000 in federal funds; and $2.4 million in Stripper Well funds.

Later in the meeting, senators heard from V.I. Carnival Committee and St. John Festival officials, who discussed their operational costs and ways to improve the annual festivities.

The V.I. Carnival Committee will be requesting a $750,000 government grant for FY 2010, while the St. John Festival and Cultural Organization is requesting $375,000.

Present during the second half of Friday’s Appropriations and Budget Committee meeting were Sens. Craig W. Barshinger, Carlton "Ital" Dowe, Louis P. Hill, Wayne James, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly, Sammuel Sanes, Patrick Simeon Sprauve and Alvin L. Williams.

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