On Tuesday, the Senate Budget, Appropriations and Finance Committee postponed votes on two major bills affecting the Virgin Islands’ taxi industry, instead instituting a 90-day review to address unresolved questions over funding, staffing, and fiscal oversight.
Lawmakers weighed a proposed 20-year lease for the St. John Taxi Services Corporation and a $400,000 appropriation to modernize the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission’s aging administrative systems. Debate over both measures reflected broader efforts to reform the taxi industry, focusing on equitable access, tourism impacts, and the push for modernization.
Committee members said government accounts must first be reconciled and key agency positions filled before moving ahead with legislation that could reshape the taxi industry.
The St. John Cruz Bay taxi stand has operated for years without a formal long-term lease, reportedly making it difficult for drivers to invest in upgrades or improve service. Bill No. 36-0092 would grant a 20-year lease to the St. John Taxi Services Corporation, which supporters said would provide stability and a path toward modernization of the stand.
“This bill, if passed, changes that. It provides a foundational legal framework needed to move forward, to build a proper dispatch booth, install signage, improve customer service and give the government better tools to regulate and oversee this important transportation hub,” said Sen. Angel L. Bolques Jr., the bill’s sponsor.
Supporters of the lease argued it would stabilize and improve operations for all local drivers. “We respectfully reiterate our request for the Legislature’s favorable consideration of the 20-year lease for the St. John taxi stand,” Sean L. Claxton, president of the St. John Taxi Services Corporation, testified. During the hearing, Claxton also assured lawmakers that independent drivers would not be excluded as long as they abided by the corporation’s rules.
Assistant Commissioner of Property and Procurement Vincent Richards also urged approval, saying the agreement would “support a local taxi operator group to sustain a much-needed and organized ground transportation operation on the island of St. John.”
Opposition to the bill was led by independent drivers and community members, who submitted a petition with more than 50 signatures objecting to the measure. Critics argued that granting control of the taxi stand to a single group could undermine its original purpose as a public facility, leading to higher fees for independents, new barriers to participation, and stricter operating requirements.
Several senators echoed those concerns, raising questions during the hearing about how to preserve nonmember access and ensure equal treatment for all drivers if the lease moves forward.
Bill No. 36-0045 would allocate $400,000 from the tourism advertising revolving fund to modernize the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission. The plan includes digitizing records, automating licensing, and improving oversight tools for more than 2,000 medallion owners and drivers. Supporters said long waits, slow service, and the risk of losing critical paperwork are common under the current paper-based system.
“It is, quite frankly, antiquated, and we do need the support of funding that would … move us forward in technology … It’s not even a luxury. It’s a necessity. It’s almost embarrassing that we operate in this decade with an antiquated system,” testified Executive Director Melissa Smith of the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission.
Director Rupert O. Ross of the VI Bureau of Information Technology agreed, saying, “Modernizing the Taxicab Commission’s operation is essential for delivering efficient, transparent and reliable service to medallion owners, operators and the public.”
Finance officials urged caution, calling for a thorough review of available government funds before approving the appropriation. “We urge the committee to reconsider the $400,000 transfer and instead require the Taxicab Commission to document internal reforms, develop a staged pilot plan and pursue targeted user-line grant-based funding options,” said Maurice Wells, executive assistant commissioner of the Finance Department. Julio Rhymer Sr., director of the Office of Management and Budget, added, “We need time to reconcile this fund, to verify this $400,000 is possible.”
Committee Chair Sen. Novelle Francis Jr., along with other senators, said the commission must fill key staff positions before moving forward with technology spending. “One concern for me is that our focus should really be on staffing up the commission … to be able to go out and do the enforcement and build the revenues. If there’s any priority, it should be staffing … more so than technological upgrades, even though those are necessary,” Francis said.
Concluding the session, the committee postponed action on both bills for 90 days, citing ongoing questions about funding, staffing, and the need for a full accounting of government finances. Lawmakers emphasized that reconciling accounts and completing key hires at the Taxicab Commission must come before any major new spending.
“Perhaps we could delay the implementation of this for 90 days, until we complete a reconciliation of the account and make a decision while working on staffing,” said Francis, referring to the tourism advertising revolving fund, the proposed source for the modernization, to ensure the money is truly available before moving forward.
No final vote was taken on these bills during Tuesday’s hearing. The committee plans to revisit both measures after the financial review is complete and progress is made on staffing at the Taxicab Commission.
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