Budget considerations topped the agenda as members of the Sixth Constitutional Convention met Saturday on St. Thomas. The weekend meeting was the second plenary session held since convention delegates set out on the latest attempt to create a set of fundamental principles to govern the territory.
After hearing a summary of talks held April 29 among members of the convention’s executive team, delegates approved a motion to ask the Legislature for additional funding. The motion followed a discussion by Convention President Usie Richards.
Richards said members of the convention’s executive team reviewed the $150,000 appropriation passed by the 34th Legislature at a meeting held April 29. One hundred thousand of those funds were expected to be allocated to cover convention-related expenses in fiscal year 2025.
The leadership team was supposed to expand the discussion at Saturday’s session, the president said. During that discussion, members questioned proposed expenses and an $18,000 set aside to compensate delegates for their time. Members also questioned a $45,000 set aside for cash and professional services. “The 25,000 is intended to do with the professional services, as today. We have a stenographer. We have a need for some legal services, and we have some need for other professional services,” the president said.
There were also public outreach costs and miscellaneous expenses to factor in, Richards said. Convention Secretary Imani Daniel agreed that the convention faces budgetary restrictions. “We have such a tight budget?” Daniel said. “What are you anticipating? We’re holding over $2,500 for miscellaneous fees.”
Delegates Rudel Hodge and David Silverman said the per diem allocation for delegates was inadequate, given the amount of time and effort spent already. “My view is that it’s not realistic,” Silverman said.
Richards said there was no guarantee but convention officials could ask the Legislature to revisit their allotment. The discussion led to a motion and a vote to form an ad hoc budget committee.
Delegates also called on the Convention Finance Committee to revise the budget allocation to reflect actual forecast expenses and prepare requests for additional funding from the Legislature.
Former Senator Lilliana Belardo de O’Neal expressed some doubts about approaching lawmakers with spending forecasts. “How can we go to the Legislature now and ask them for more money when we haven’t expended half of what we have gotten?” Belardo said.
