Personnel Director Cindy Richardson on Wednesday confirmed that Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and Lieutenant Gov. Tregenza Roach are now receiving the executive pay raises triggered by the recently submitted Public Officials Compensation Commission report — with salaries set at $201,692 and $176,642 respectively, retroactive to Jan. 13, 2025.
The confirmation came during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, where Sen. Marise James pressed Richardson to clarify the implementation.
“When you say implemented—does it mean they’re receiving the funds currently in their checks?” James asked.
“Correct,” Richardson responded, later affirming that neither official declined the raise.
Sen. Kurt Vialet brought the issue into sharper focus, pointing out discrepancies between the figures now reflected in official Notices of Personnel Action (NOPAs) and those previously disclosed. Richardson explained that the raises were applied in stages based on the commission’s August 2024 submission: a first-term jump from $150,000 to $192,088, followed by a 5 percent second-term increase that brings Bryan’s salary to $201,692. Roach’s salary rose from $168,231 to $176,642 under the same formula.
Vialet questioned the legal basis for implementing the raises mid-term, referencing the enabling legislation that says recommendations from the Compensation Commission are to take effect only after the “next general election.”
“But I guess the courts will figure it out as we go along,” he said.
Richardson said the Division of Personnel processed the NOPAs using a retroactive effective date of Jan. 13, 2025. However, when asked whether back pay had already been issued, she replied: “They would have to process it through the Department of Finance,” and noted that, to her knowledge, the necessary forms had not yet been submitted.
The raises—and the way they were implemented—have been the subject of escalating political fallout. In May, Bryan defended the move in an interview with the Source, saying the Legislature had effectively ratified the raises by failing to act. “You can’t rescind the law. The law is the law. I didn’t make it. I just follow it,” he said. He added that delaying implementation until after a future election would render the salary study “stale.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger, who authored Bill No. 36-0085 to rescind the raises and recover any disbursed funds, has argued the raises were unlawful from the start and lacked proper legislative oversight. The measure was vetoed by Bryan last week, but lawmakers are expected to attempt an override when the full Senate reconvenes in session on Friday.
St. Croix Source
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