Senate Vice President Kenneth L. Gittens issued a strong statement Friday condemning the recent salary increases granted to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, calling the move “shameful and unjust,” particularly in light of unpaid retroactive wages owed to active government employees and retirees across the territory. Senator Gittens is urging his colleagues to work with him to take immediate legislative and legal action to prevent the implementation of raises for the Territory’s top two executives.
On questioning by Senator Gittens and other senators, the 36th Legislature’s Committee on Appropriations, Budget and Finance learned Friday that paperwork was prepared this week granting raises to the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor, including retroactive wages dating back to December 2024. The raises will increase the Governor’s salary by $42,000 from $150,000 to $192,000, and the Lieutenant Governor’s salary from $125,00 to $168,000.
“These raises were implemented without legislative consideration, a move that not only disregards the law, but disrespects the hardworking men and women of our government who are still waiting on wages rightfully owed to them,” said the Senate Vice President.
“This is simply unconscionable given the state of affairs in the Territory. We have debts to our employees, retirees, vendors, our hospitals lack basic supplies, schools and roads remain in disrepair, and we are now facing numerous cuts to federally funded programs,” Senator Gittens said.
The Legislature of the Virgin Islands has appropriated $25 million on three separate occasions specifically to pay these retroactive wages. However, as of today, those funds have yet to be disbursed by the Executive Branch.
The possibility of raises came to light when the Governor’s Office announced in January that it had accepted the recommendation of the V.I. Public Employees Compensation Commission to automatically increase executive salaries. Earlier this year the senate formally requested a legal opinion through Bill Request 25-0278 regarding the Governor’s authority to unilaterally increase executive salaries. In a legal opinion dated January 24, 2025, the Legislature’s Chief Legal Counsel, Amos W. Carty Sr., concluded that:
“The Governor cannot legally increase the salaries of the governor and lieutenant governor. If the governor were to implement salary increases for himself and the lieutenant governor, those increases would violate 3 V.I.C. sections 1(a) and 31(a).”
Senator Gittens further criticized the Executive Branch for its failure to release emergency funding authorized under Act 8985, which was intended to provide much-needed support to the Territory’s hospitals. This sparked an immediate notification to the Territory’s hospital management that the funding will be released.
“To ignore essential obligations to our employees, retirees, and health care institutions while prioritizing personal salary increases is indefensible. I’m disappointed, to put it nicely,” he added. “This action is a betrayal of the public trust and a clear violation of our laws.”
The Senate Vice President is now calling on Senate President Milton Potter and all members of the 36th Legislature to immediately pursue legal action by filing a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) for injunctive relief to halt the illegal salary increases.
“We must show leadership and act now on behalf of the people we were elected to serve,” said the Senator. “The integrity of our government and the rights of our employees depend on it.”
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