Governor de Jongh and Senate President Ronald E. Russell today held a meeting of the members of the 29th Legislature and the Governor’s Financial Team to discuss the financial challenges confronting the Territory. Lt. Governor Gregory Francis and Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen were also present. 

“Today’s meeting was the latest in a continuing dialogue between the Senate and my Administration on means by which we can secure the financial footing of the Virgin Islands. Senate President Russell and I believe that today’s meeting was a very productive discussion of the options available. This was a joint effort to see whether we can avoid further termination of government employees this month,” the governor said this evening. 

Various proposals were discussed at the meeting to both provide additional revenue and to further reduce the budget deficit. “My primary motivation in asking the governor to meet with us today was to see if, together, we can find a way to avoid additional terminations. All of my colleagues in the Legislature, and I, accept that the terminations so far have been necessary to reduce the cost of government, but we are all concerned that further dismissals will have an increasingly detrimental effect on our community and that is what we are working diligently to minimize,” the senate president said today.

The governor said he believes that the members of the Senate will continue to discuss the options available and will soon take action on those measures that they believe can reduce the deficit and provide additional revenue for the government.