The Fiscal Year 2015 V.I. budget will be delayed past its May 30 statutory deadline and submitted to the V.I. Legislature "no later than June 16," Gov. John deJongh Jr. said in a letter to the Legislature, released to the press by email Thursday.
The budget was delayed last year too, (See Related Links below) and like last year, Government House is placing the blame on legislative inaction on critical budget issues.
In his letter to Senate President Shawn-Michael Malone, deJongh said many challenges have impeded work on the budget, especially two: the Fiscal Year 2014 $40 million projected cash flow shortfall, which has yet to be addressed by the Legislature and a delay in updating the government’s financial management system "because funding requested to do so in FY 2014 was not appropriated."
DeJongh said since last November his administration has met on several occasions with the senators to address the current $40 million dollar shortfall in this year’s budget and, despite those meetings, “we still await the Legislature’s recommendations to address this shortfall.”
DeJongh also said "the lack of upgrades to our ERP System has created substantial difficulties and delays in our ability to input a new fiscal year budget into the system," and that he anticipates the Legislature will soon approve the funding.
Noting that V.I. law requires the submission of the annual budget by May 31 of each year, deJongh said in his letter to Malone, “My administration will continue to work collaboratively with you and members of the 30th Legislature … throughout the upcoming budget process to bring about solutions for the people of the Virgin Islands as we move forward in this very challenging economic environment.”
