WASHINGTON, D.C. – There’s been a lot of push back from the public and USVI legislators regarding the Governor’s and other top officials’ salary increases. At 192-thousand dollars, the Governor’s salary exceeds most US state governors’ salaries. Many want the Governor to rescind the pay raise, but he is defending the salary increases.
“My decision about this is it’s not about me, its about the law,” said Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr, USVI Governor. The Governor’s salary increased from 150-thousand to 192-thousand.
The Virgin Islands Public Officials Compensation Commission released a report in August of last year recommending salary pay bumps. The Governor’s office sent a press release right after the new year announcing the salary changes. The Governor said the salary increases went into effect in accordance with the law governing the Commission after the legislature failed to take action on it.
“The legislature had a decision to change it,” said the Governor. “They knew it, they totally ignored it because they didn’t want to talk about it and if you have any question why you didn’t want to talk about it you can see what’s happening in the public today.”
But USVI legislators claim the legislature did not receive the Commission’s report in time to review the action.
“While the governor is seeking a 42-thousand dollar pay raise, most government employees are making way less than 42-thousand dollars annually,” said Sen. Kenneth Gittens, Majority Leader. “Our people deserve better.”
According to online data, the new salary for the USVI Governor will be more than what most US state governors earn. For reference, the governor of Michigan earns around 159-thousand. Pennsylvania’s Governor earns around 230-thousand. New York’s Governor earns the highest at 250-thousand. In comparison to governors in US territories, the VI Governor salary outpaces all of them. Puerto Rico’s Governor earns 70-thousand. Guam earns 90-thousand.
We asked: why should the Governor of the Virgin Islands make more money than most states governors?
“It’s about creating value for that,” said Gov. Bryan. “When you see a governor of a state, they don’t deal with potholes, they don’t deal with the regular [inaudible] issues. Mayors deal with that. If you look at mayors’ salaries across the US my salary- the governor’s salary looks kind of medium but median wise- average.”
Governor Bryan also adds the salary amount for the USVI Governor has not changed in almost 20 years.
“If you had to adjust the governor’s salary from 2006 to now on CPI it would be something like 232-thousand dollars so when you look at the increase for me, yes, it’s a big jump but for governors overall in the last 20-years it was a modest increase,” said the Governor. “Judges make 225 [thousand], port authority over 200 [thousand], the hospitals make over 350 [thousand], WAPA makes over 350 [thousand], the president of the University makes 350 [thousand]. So, when you look at my 192 is a very modest increase in my scope.”
In early June the legislature voted unanimously to rescind the salary changes. The Governor said he’s reviewing the measure but it will be more than likely vetoed, gearing up for a potential court battle.
“But even if I were to sign it into law, it wouldn’t affect the governor’s salary because you can’t have a situation created where the legislature lowers the governor’s salary while he’s sitting there,” said the Governor. “How would we get anything done? The minute we got a hostile legislature would be zero. So, it really gets into a space of separation and balance of power. Which many people think is boring but it’s an important moment in our history because it will determine how legislatures deal with future governors.”
