Senate Vice President Kenneth L. Gittens said Monday he had hoped Governor Albert A. Bryan’s final State of the Territory Address would provide more clear direction and concrete solutions to the Virgin Islands’ most pressing challenges.
“This Administration has accomplished some great things, but continues to fall short on the basics – schools, hospitals and energy in particular,” Senator Gittens said. “And, I must ask, what about St. Croix? We did not even get an update on Paul E. Joseph Stadium this year and the racetrack is apparently at a complete standstill. Last year, the Governor said there was ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ at Paul E. Joseph – the public deserves to know where that light went.”
Senator Gittens said that for the last seven years the Governor has touted improvements at the Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority, yet service remains unreliable.
“The community continues to be told we should be grateful that rates have not increased,” Senator Gittens said. “Ratepayers continue to shoulder high electricity costs with no clear timeline or strategy.”
Similarly, each of the last seven years the Governor has pledged to prioritize the repair and reconstruction of Virgin Islands hospitals and there has been no significant progress.
“We are truly at a crisis point when it comes to healthcare,” Senator Gittens said. “Facilities are crumbling, medical professionals have gone unpaid, and we lack basic supplies. Our cancer center was supposed to be open two months ago and now the Governor is saying 2026 with no firm date. Our patients need to know the timeline so they can plan their treatment accordingly.”
In his first address to the Legislature, the Governor pledged increased lighting and surveillance cameras to combat crime and Senator Gittens said he has seen little evidence of widespread implementation. Further, the Law Enforcement Planning Commission was supposed to be activated to collect data and address root causes of crime.
“We heard almost nothing about public safety,” Senator Gittens said.
Senator Gittens praised the acquisition of land at Maroon Ridge, the increased cruise ship arrivals to St. Croix, the completion of the Vincent Mason Coral Resort Pool, and repairs to some of St. Croix’s roads and bridges.
“These are great accomplishments, but a real problem remains in getting some of our most essential infrastructure projects underway,” he said.
Senator Gittens maintains that the Administration must be a better steward of its resources.
“I continue to contend that the Virgin Islands does not have a money problem, but rather a money management problem,” Senator Gittens concluded.
