The V.I. Casino Control Commission’s revenues slowed a lot after last year’s hurricanes and it is behind on its bills, Vice Chair Usie Richards and Executive Director Barbara James-Petersen told senators during budget hearings Tuesday.
“We have fallen behind. A lot of payments are past due – the majority of them,” James-Petersen said.
Richards said the commission is $63,004.50 behind in rent, representing three quarters of a year. He said Commissioner Stacey Bourn and he are working to get updated records of what is past due from Chairwoman Violet Ann Golden “to develop a plan of action to address these outstanding payments.”
Golden is out on medical leave.
There are three commissioners: Golden, Richards and Bourne. But much of the financial information is with Golden, making it difficult in her absence.
Richards said he requested documentation several times and Golden told him on Sept. 4 that she would send reconciled accounts within 36 hours.
“To date, none of the promised information or documentation has been transmitted,” Richards said.
“Only the chairperson has that information on her computer,” James-Petersen said, when asked if the financial data could be compiled another way.
V.I. Attorney General Claude Walker recently filed motions leading toward potentially removing Golden from her position after the V.I. Inspector General published a highly critical audit report. The report, covering 2013 through 2016, alleges control over spending and of records was too concentrated in the chair’s hands, record keeping was poor and some spending appeared excessive compared with standards adopted for the central government.
Golden has responded that the charges are political, that she did not misuse funds, and that she had inherited a messy system that could use reform.
Golden has only a few more months in office in any event. V.I. law stipulates no CCC commissioner may serve more than 10 years. Golden was first appointed to the CCC in April of 2009, so under the terms of the law, must step down by April 2019.
Richards said he, Bourne and James-Petersen have taken several steps since the report came out to tighten control over finances at the commission.
He said they have changed check-signing protocols on the commission’s bank accounts so two commissioners have to sign off on expenses, and commission staff will reconcile the books. Previously, the chair and the executive director signed off on checks, with the chair reconciling the books. That was problematic because the executive director was subordinate to the chair, Richards said.
The audit report criticized excessive use of commission credit cards with insufficient explanation and documentation.
“Will you have a separate individual policy for credit cards?” Sen. Dwayne DeGraff (I-STT) asked.
Richards said a policy would be adopted but the commission needed to look at “whether or not commissioners need credit cards in the first place.”
“I’ve been here a year and I don’t have a credit card from the commission,” he said, adding that the only active card is controlled by Golden.
“The card had a $50,000 limit and the card is overdrawn, he said. They have opted not to pay it yet “because that would reactivate the card.”
While current budget figures are a work in progress, Richards’ testimony had numbers for 2017 and 2016. Total expenses for 2017 were $976,935.83 and for 2016 they were $960,265.04.
Most of the spending is for personnel costs, which are currently $823,000 per year. The chair is paid $105,000 and the other two commissioners are paid $100,000 per year.
The CCC is supported through casino licensing fees and fines and a government appropriation for salaries. Mapp’s proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget includes $600,000 in miscellaneous funding for CCC salaries.
Present at Tuesday’s hearing were: DeGraff, Sens. Janelle Sarauw (I-STT), DeGraff, Tregenza Roach (D-STT), Brian Smith (D-At Large), Neville James (D-STX) and Kurt Vialet (D-STX). Sen. Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly (D-STX) was absent.
Why are the three commissioners paid $ 305,000.00 per year? Just because they are called commissioners? What a waste. In 2016 total expenses were $ 960,265.04 and in 2017 $ 976,935.83
They have calculated these to the penny. How honest? What do they to deserve such high salaries?
The misuse of spending should be investigated in depth and each one should be held responsible and accountable for their spending of monies.
Always remember that the jail is open for them.