Aug. 10, 2006 – Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has asked for nearly $26,500 in accrued annual leave when his term wraps up in November – and for another $571,972 for exempt employees who work in his office.
During budget hearings Thursday, Turnbull's Deputy Chief of Staff Alric Simmonds said that the funds for these lump-sum payments are included in an $8.1 million General Fund budget request proposed by the Office of the Governor for Fiscal Year 2007.
The budget, which reflects a $767,282 increase over last year's appropriation, also includes $192,282 for "transition and inauguration activities."
Simmonds' presentation raised the ire of several senators, who said salaries paid to exempt staff are already much higher than those given to general rank and file employees.
"I also take exception to the fact that the Office of the Governor is requesting these lump sum payments, when the rank and file employees have been waiting for the step increases they were promised years ago, along with various deferred payments and overtime expenses," Sen. Usie R. Richards said.
Richards also questioned Simmonds about pay raises given to exempt employees within the Office of the Governor. These increases were first granted through an executive order Turnbull issued in 2002. The order raised the ceilings on salaries to $97,000 for commissioners and other top administrators; $92,000 for assistant commissioners; $87,000 for deputy commissioners; and $70,000 for division directors (See "Proposed Exempt Employee Pay Hikes Total $8.7M").
While Turnbull was ordered by the Senate to rescind the increases in 2003, they were reinstated at a later date. However, no one seems to know exactly when the increases went into effect.
Simmonds said the dollar value of the increases within the Office of the Governor is $214,500.
Sen. Juan Figueroa-Serville added to Richards' comments by highlighting the salaries earned by many employees working within the Office of the Governor, including an "assistant to the assistant of the Governor" – a position line-itemed at $50,000.
"The salary discrepancies seen throughout the government are just ridiculous," Figueroa-Serville said. "Especially when we have many people who have worked for years in government positions, and are still making, with all their experience and knowledge, something like $17,000 or $18,000 a year. I hope the individuals filling these positions in the Office of the Governor are working very hard for what they earn, and are accomplishing much for our people."
While Simmonds did not comment on the salary discrepancies, he did say that the lump sum payments would cover accrued annual leave earned by a total of 27 exempt employees.
Returning to the subject of the meeting, which was the budget, Simmonds gave a brief breakdown of the office's total operating costs for FY 2007, which equals approximately $8.2 million. About $8.1 million of that amount would come from the General Fund, while $150,000 is expected from the federal government.
Approximately $7.4 million of the proposed General Fund budget request will fund the operations for the central Office of the Governor, while $672,063 is earmarked for the Bureau of Economic Research (BER). According to BER Director Lauritz Mills, this amount is "not sufficient enough" to cover the Bureau's operations for FY 2007.
During the meeting, Mills said BER requested $150,000 in FY 2006 to conduct "studies and surveys." At that time, another $70,000 was requested to complete the Governor's Health Reform Initiative, which requires employers to provide health insurance for their employees.
"We made a similar request of $150,000 for studies and surveys for FY 2007, but only half of the requested funding was recommended by OMB," she said. "That amount is insufficient to achieve the research goals of the Bureau."
BER, located under the Office of the Governor for budgetary purposes, is primarily tasked with generating statistical reports on the state of the local economy.
Simmonds said another $150,000 in federal funds anticipated for FY 2007 will cover the operations of the Virgin Islands Primary Care Office, responsible for providing healthcare to residents "regardless of their ability to pay."
Simmonds requested that the General Fund portion of the budget be given as a lump-sum appropriation, which would allow the Office of the Governor to reprogram any cost savings realized at the end of the fiscal year. "Without a lump sum budget, it becomes very difficult at times for us to juggle our funds," he said, adding that any extra money could be used to cover rising utility costs or various "functions and activities" hosted throughout the year by the governor.
Lump-sum accrued annual leave payments are also recommended for:
–Juel Malloy ($32, 081.44)
–Nathan Simmonds ($31,420.96)
–James O'Bryan ($29,596.68)
–Julien Harley ($28,118.56)
–Christian Boschulte ($28,118.56)
–Charles W. Turnbull ($26,460.48)
–Keith Richards ($26,460.48)
–Elmo Adams ($26,460.48)
–George Goodwin ($25,544.08)
–Benet Fahie ($24,809.38)
–Alric Simmonds ($24,460.56)
–Clarence Wells ($23,806.74)
–Horace Brooks ($22,934.16)
–Rita Canton ($22,934.16)
–Kent Bernier ($21,865.45)
–Carlyle Corbin ($19,848.80)
–Pierina Roebuck ($19,848.80)
–Haran Penn ($19,181.44)
–Ingrid Lettsome ($18,851.20)
–Bernice Lettsome ($16,736.52)
–Jeanette Brown ($15,925.20)
–Queen Terry ($12.683.36)
–Alvin Grant ($12,569.76)
–Samuel Weekes ($12,239.52)
–Lewis Fahie ($11,579.04)
–Clarita Hendrickson ($9,260.48)
–Louis Industrious ($7,995.68)
Present during Thursday's meeting were Sens. Roosevelt C. David, Liston Davis, Pedro "Pete" Encarnacion, Figueroa-Serville, Louis P. Hill, Norman Jn Baptiste and Richards.
Sen. Neville James was absent.
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