Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach hewed toward optimism during a weekly Government House briefing on Monday.
“I thought it of utmost importance to come before you — before the holiday season gets fully underway — to spread some holiday cheer and to share some important things we as a community have been able to accomplish this year,” he said before vamping on themes of progress and positivity.
“As we close 2024, I want to express heartfelt gratitude to every Virgin Islander for your patience, collaboration and belief in the progress that we are making together,” he said. “This year, we made strides in our disaster recovery with groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies that symbolize renewal and opportunity.”
Roach said the territory has also continued to address long-standing issues like “improving our roadways through paving, striping and bush clearing.”
“These efforts are visible signs … of what we can accomplish when we work hand-in-hand toward a common goal. Our achievements belong to all of us — they reflect not only the work of this administration but also the strength of a community committed to a brighter future,” he said. “Let us take pride in how far we have come while embracing the promise of what lies ahead.”
Roach highlighted an initiative designed to support seniors with low income — the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program — which he said provided nearly 800 people with fresh, local produce, including herbs, ground provisions, fruits and vegetables.
He also announced the execution of a contract to remove derelict vessels abandoned in the wake of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which blew through the territory in August. Roach said the contractor will begin by removing vessels near the Elysian Beach Resort before moving westward to include the Charlotte Amalie waterfront in early January.
Highlighting the work of the V.I. Lieutenant Governor’s Office (OLG), Roach again shared that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners — a more than 150-year-old organization governed by state insurance regulators from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and United States territories — accredited the OLG’s Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulation Division.
Commissioners voted unanimously to accredit the division after a vote taken during the NAIC Fall National Meeting last month in Denver, Colorado. The division was previously accredited in 2019, pending a two-year review and fully accredited in 2021.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Office also oversees the territory’s long-awaited Street Addressing Initiative, and Roach said the office achieved two milestones in its efforts to make the U.S. Virgin Islands more navigable — the completion of mapping St. John and the installation of backlit, illuminated road signs on highways and major roads.
Roach did not mention a reported sickout by VITRAN workers on St. Croix or a mass casualty incident on St. Thomas, which left one person dead and six more injured on Saturday. The shooting brought the territory-wide number of homicides this year up to 40, according to the Source’s 2024 homicide list.
The Source was again prevented from asking questions live on Monday due to technical issues with Government House’s hit-or-miss call-in system. The central government began hosting virtual briefings nearly four years ago during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
