PFA Approves Contracts For Terri Griffiths And Peter Schultz

ST. THOMAS — The Public Finance Authority on Thursday approved contracts for Attorney Terri Grffiths, a former acting attorney general of the Mapp administration, and Peter Schultz, who was announced in March as acting CEO of the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (viNGN), following Tonjia Coverdale’s resignation.

Mr. Schultz’s contract is for $150,000 for what the contract describes as no less than 750 billable hours of work. Mr. Schultz, who is also a board member, is a scientist and co-inventor of fiber optics, used worldwide for communications. Mr. Schultz contract also includes $15,000 for travel expenses.

The contract was a way to pay Mr. Schultz for what Governor Kenneth Mapp, chairman of P.F.A. board — who once led the authority under the Turnbull administration — said was work Mr. Schultz was already performing at viNGN. His contract was approved unanimously.

Ms. Griffiths’s contract was approved at $125,000 for one year. Mr. Mapp said she was being retained to help draft legislation ahead of some major deals in sports tourism that, if all goes well, would drive major dollars into the territory’s coffers, and boost its tourism product. Ms. Griffiths will also be working as a counsel under Mr. Mapp’s direction to help with a transaction involving a private party set to make a major investment in the territory’s horse racing industry.

The governor has long made mention of bolstering the horse racing industry. He said in April of 2015 that he envisioned St. Croix being a “mecca” for sports and tourism events.

“In terms of driving visitation and tourism on St. Croix, we’re beginning this whole process of sports and events tourism, so you’re going to hear an announcement soon where we’re going to be leveraging our horse racing facilities out to a horse track operator/owner,” Mr. Mapp said.

Yet, Ms. Griffiths’s contract, though approved, was not without hesitation. Board member Keith O’Neale said he could not understand the need for another attorney representing the P.F.A. when it already had an attorney on salary, namely Yvette Ross-Edwards. Mr. O’Neale was also concerned about the cost of the contract.

But the governor said while Mrs. Ross-Edwards is focused on the general dealings of the authority, Ms. Griffiths’s role would be dedicated to facilitating the aforementioned pending deals.

Ms. Griffiths’s contract was voted favorably by Mr. Mapp, Dept. of Finance Commissioner Valdamier Collens, and Officer of Management and Budget Director Nellon Bowry. Mr. O’Neale voted against the contract.