{"id":10477,"date":"2014-10-16T23:07:44","date_gmt":"2014-10-16T23:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=10477"},"modified":"2014-10-17T00:48:18","modified_gmt":"2014-10-17T00:48:18","slug":"governor-de-jongh-vetoes-contentious-streetlights-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=10477","title":{"rendered":"Governor De Jongh Vetoes Contentious ‘Streetlights Bill’"},"content":{"rendered":"

After much public outcry in recent weeks, on Wednesday night, Gov. John P. de Jongh, Jr. vetoed legislation that sought to remove the District Street Lighting Fund and allow the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to charge its customers for maintaining and installing street lights in the territory.<\/span>\u00a0This action was one of several final pieces\u00a0of legislation the Governor took action on that made up\u00a0the\u00a0Fiscal Year\u00a02015 budget for the Virgin Islands government.<\/span><\/p>\n

In vetoing this section of the legislation, the Governor wrote in his transmittal letter to Senate President Shawn-Michael Malone that \u201cwhile I agree that the Legislature must determine an effective way to fund the cost of street lighting, it would be just as appropriate to hear the community\u2019s voice on this matter and hold hearings to obtain the necessary guidance from all those who would be impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Governor de Jongh noted that the potential revenue that would be reaped through the streetlight measure “does not justify the lack of process and public input,” according to a release issued by Government House.<\/p>\n

Recap<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power bills in the territory are expected to be reduced by 30 percent once WAPA\u2019s propane initiative goes online in the first quarter of 2015. An amendment to the government\u2019s 2015 budget, championed by St. Thomas Senator Clifford Graham, would have taken some of the savings away by allowing WAPA to bill streetlight usage fees to residents.<\/p>\n

In early September, WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge testified before the Senate\u00a0that the government owed over $11 million in unpaid streetlight bills.\u00a0The funds currently allocated to paying for streetlights, which is taken from property tax revenues, will be restored to the treasury.<\/p>\n

At a hearing later in September, where senators were able to narrowly avoid losing health insurance benefits for over 7,000 government employees, some lawmakers expressed their misgivings\u00a0with the amendment, and St. Croix senator Nereida \u201cNellie\u201d Rivera-O\u2019Reilly advocated for the measure to be placed in committee for further consideration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this amendment is approved, then the WAPA bills will drastically increase,\u201d Rivera-O\u2019Reilly said, adding it should be immediately \u201ctaken off the agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham\u00a0countered, reasoning that the territory\u2019s roads are dark because the streetlights no longer work, and that adding the amendment would not only make the roads safer, but also aid in balancing the budget. The amendment was passed with a majority of eight senators.<\/p>\n

Those who voted for and against the amendment are as follows:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Senator Craig Barshinger \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n
  2. Senator Judi Buckley \u2014 No<\/li>\n
  3. Senator Diane Capehart \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n
  4. Senator Donald G. Cole \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n
  5. Senator Kenneth Gittens \u2014 No<\/li>\n
  6. Senator Clifford Graham \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n
  7. Senator Alicia \u201cChucky\u201d Hansen \u2014 No<\/li>\n
  8. Senator Myron Jackson \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n
  9. Senator Shawn-Michael Malone \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n
  10. Senator Terrence \u201cPositive\u201d Nelson \u2014 No<\/li>\n
  11. Senator Nellie Rivera-O\u2019Reilly \u2014 No<\/li>\n
  12. Senator Clarence Payne \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n
  13. Senator Tregenza A. Roach \u2014 No<\/li>\n
  14. Senator Sammuel Sanes \u2014 No<\/li>\n
  15. Senator Janette Millin Young \u2014 Yes<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Photo Credit: JaxFaxCaribbean<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    After much public outcry in recent weeks, on Wednesday night, Gov. John P. de Jongh, Jr. vetoed legislation that sought to remove the District Street Lighting Fund and allow the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to charge its customers for maintaining and installing street lights in the territory.\u00a0This action was one of several final […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":10059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,191,147],"tags":[657],"yoast_head":"\nGovernor De Jongh Vetoes Contentious 'Streetlights Bill' - V.I. Consortium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After much public outcry in recent weeks, on Wednesday night, Gov. 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