Governor Kenneth Mapp has signed an order renewing the U.S. Virgin Islands state of emergency declaration through November 1, Government House announced Tuesday.
Mr. Mapp said the need for a state of emergency continues to exist in the territory as a result of the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
In September, the governor vetoed a measure that sought to curtail his state of emergency declaration power, claiming its only aim aside from political, was to hinder the territory’s recovery process.
“This measure is irresponsible; it reeks of politics,” the governor wrote in his transmittal letter to Senate President Myron Jackson. “The Virgin Islands of the United States remains under a Presidential State of Emergency. The Presidential State of Emergency exists so federal agencies can respond and assist the people of the Virgin Islands in a more responsive and timely manner. The Virgin Islands’ State of Emergency exists so that we can expedite the procurement process and response to federal imposed cost share deadlines.”
The latest declaration comes over a year since Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck the USVI in 2017
Tags: disaster declaration, governor kenneth mapp, usvi
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