With health insurance costs ballooning and more than a thousand government employees earning less than $35,000 a year, lawmakers on Wednesday pressed Division of Personnel Director Cindy Richardson for clarity on workforce data and cost trends — even as the broader pay raise debate unfolded around her.
The conversation came during the Division’s fiscal year 2026 budget hearing, where Richardson outlined a $63.1 million recommended budget. Of that, $13.5 million comes from the General Fund, and nearly $49.6 million from miscellaneous appropriated funds, most of which cover governmentwide fringe benefits, including health insurance. The agency’s internal operating budget totals a little over $7 million.
The most immediate cost pressure, according to the Personnel team, is health insurance. Richardson told senators that the government’s group health plan grew by $19.4 million between FY 2023 and FY 2024, pushing the total projected cost to $199.3 million for the current year. Of that amount, nearly $166 million is the government’s share of premium contributions.
Sen. Angel Bolques Jr. asked what Personnel could do to rein in those numbers. Richardson explained that while the Division does not oversee the Government Employees Service Commission Health Insurance Board, the board has a five-year, $1.5 million contract with a consultant whose mandate includes identifying cost-saving strategies. “It’s actually part of the contract,” Richardson said, adding that Personnel’s role is limited to promoting wellness initiatives and encouraging participation to improve overall employee health and reduce long-term costs.
The hearing then shifted from rising costs to broader questions about the size and efficiency of the government workforce. The government currently employs 9,024 active workers, with an average salary of roughly $55,000, according to Richardson. In response to a question from Senate President Milton Potter, she said the Division is working to update job descriptions and evaluate whether agencies are structured appropriately for today’s needs, particularly in light of automation and new technologies.
Separately, Sen. Kurt Vialet pressed Richardson on how many employees currently make less than $35,000 — a key focus of legislation he’s introduced to raise the minimum salary for government workers from $27,040 to $35,000 by October 2025. Richardson said that 679 employees earn under $34,000, with another 66 just above that line. But she could not provide a full fiscal impact analysis, citing recent retroactive payments, reactivated personnel files, and ongoing union negotiations. “The data was pulled in mid-May, and a lot has changed since then,” she explained.
Vialet’s bill, passed unanimously by the Senate, has since drawn strong opposition from Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., who released two fiscal impact reports warning the mandate could increase payroll and fringe costs by $40 million annually. His administration projects broader salary compression could force wage adjustments for another 5,200 employees, inflating the government’s debt by up to $200 million over the next five years. In a statement, Bryan called the bill “a feel-good measure” that could derail the territory’s financial progress. He subsequently vetoed the bill, which is expected to be overridden during Friday’s full legislative session.
Vialet, who has cited outdated wages for custodial and front line workers, has floated offsetting the cost by reducing overtime expenditures, government employee vehicle use, and other solutions he said senators could put in place before a final fiscal year 2026 budget is submitted.
Meanwhile, Potter pressed during Wednesday’s hearing to understand whether the current size and structure of the government is still effective. With an evolving landscape shaped by automation and AI, he asked Richardson whether Personnel is assessing whether the existing workforce reflects modern operational needs. Richardson said there has been opportunity for that kind of deep review, after the pandemic in particular, where advancements in technology or changes in job functions could have been assessed.
Speaking about her ongoing work to update what she described as antiquated job descriptions, Richardson also pointed to the Bureau of Information Technology’s upcoming rollout of Microsoft Copilot, which will help agencies explore automation and identify redundant positions.
Personnel is also developing internal dashboards to help agencies visualize workforce trends, including retirements, vacancies, and hiring bottlenecks — tools Richardson said could help shift the government toward smarter workforce planning. “These are the conversations we need to have,” she told senators.

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.