Don Buchanan

1 week ago | stjohnsource.com | Don Buchanan

The Government Employees’ Retirement System is adding nearly as many retirees to its payroll as it is removing due to deaths, GERS Administrator Angel Dawson told the board of trustees during a meeting Thursday. Since October, 217 retirees were added to the GERS payroll, while 210 were removed due to death. The system now sends out more than $11 million in annuity checks every two weeks to 8,775 retirees. The number of retirees on St. Thomas is 4,061, on St. Croix is 3,467, and on St. John is 224.

Mar 11, 2025 | stthomassource.com | Don Buchanan

Commissioner David Hughes told a developer of a proposed waste-to-energy project on St. John that completing a project in the territory could be “painful.”The history of the solar projects and energy-efficient generators aired at the Public Services Commission on Tuesday illustrates that pain. The Wartsila generators, which have been in the territory for over three years, have only produced electricity for a couple of months and are not running now.

Mar 5, 2025 | stthomassource.com | Don Buchanan

On Tuesday, senators questioned Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s financial team about whether a sales tax was better for the territory than a gross receipt tax. Everyone agreed that more study was needed. Sen. Angel Bolques was first to point out that the 32nd Legislature passed a bill mandating the creation of a Tax Study Commission over two years ago. Bureau of Internal Revenue Director Joel Lee said he was a nonvoting commission member, and no meetings had been held yet.

Feb 28, 2025 | stthomassource.com | Don Buchanan

Public Works Department Commissioner Derek Gabriel updated members of the Housing, Transportation, and Telecommunications Committee Friday about the state of ferries, buses, and road and bridge projects. He said the final design and cost estimates for building a ferry capable of crossing between St. Thomas and St. Croix in 90 minutes or less are to be completed within a month. A ferry for the route between Cruz Bay, St. John, and Red Hook, St. Thomas, has already been built.

Feb 27, 2025 | stthomassource.com | Don Buchanan

On Thursday, the Rules and Judiciary Committee moved Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s nominees for a hospital board and a vocational education board to the whole body with favorable recommendations. Safiya George, the Government Hospital and Health Facilities Corporation, District Governing Board nominee, will serve if she gets final approval in the St. Thomas-St. John district. Anthony Mardenborough, the Board of Career and Technical Education nominee, would serve the St. Croix district.