Mapp Responds To Controversy Over Pay Raises Given To Cabinet Members

ST. CROIX — Governor Kenneth Mapp fielded questions today about his decision to raise the salaries of cabinet members — including that of his Finance Commissioner nominee Valdamier Collens by $28,000, while most government employees who’ve been in the system for decades have yet to enjoy any increase in their paychecks.

But Mapp defended himself with eloquent expression, telling popular talk show host Mario Moorehead on WDHP 1620 A.M., that it was important to increase the salaries because he needed skilled people with exceptional talent to form a cohesive team responsible for reformatting a broken government, and that the salary increases were offset by the terminating of individuals who filled unproductive positions.

“It’s really in the context of capacity and efficiency,” Mapp began, “somebody being able to do the job that’s required to be done and doing it right and getting it right the first time.”

The governor made known that in the past two administrations an executive order was written to deal with the issue of compensation for commissioners, adding that it was capped by the John P. de Jongh administration at $130,000. He also explained a situation where commissioners were brought into the territory by de Jongh and given salaries of $129,000. However, when these employees relocated to the U.S., locals placed in those same positions were given lower pay.

And so yes, you can get a builder and a contractor to come in and build for you at a particular cost, but that don’t necessarily mean you’re going to get the best product. – Governor Kenneth Mapp.

Even so, the governor attempted to explain his position of salary increases issued to cabinet members, using Collens’ situation as an example.

“When you look at the background of the commissioner of finance and his experience and his achievements, and what he was being paid before he came to the  commissioner’s job at finance in the public sector, he, even at $125,000, took a salary reduction,” Mapp said. “But his skill, ability and input on how we’re going to right this ship of the Government of the Virgin Islands from a financial perspective, he is going to be able to help us achieve that success.”

The governor added: “And so yes, you can get a builder and a contractor to come in and build for you at a particular cost, but that don’t necessarily mean you’re going to get the best product. And sometimes in the context of your own families and in running your businesses, you pay people sometimes more than you would pay somebody else because you know at the end of the day you’re going to get it right, and you’re going to get it done the way it ought to be done and you’re not going to have to go back to redo it.”

Speaking to VI Consortium in a telephone interview on Monday, Sen. Kurt Vialet said that although the governor was pressed on the issue of salary increases at the first official meeting between the executive and legislative branches of government, he refused to change his position.

“The only disappointment that we had at the meeting was the fact that he has not changed his position in reference to the raises,” Vialet said of Mapp. “The governor used the separation of powers doctrine, and said that as the governor, he definitely has that right to set salaries for the executive branch of government, and that he had already made that commitment to those individuals and he planned to stick by his word.”