The Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday reviewed the Bureau of Information Technology’s $14.3 million budget request, questioning rising software costs and ongoing cybersecurity challenges across government systems.
BIT Director Rupert Ross, who also serves as the Virgin Islands government’s chief information officer, told senators the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget is aimed at sustaining and securing technology that now underpins much of the government’s day‑to‑day operations.
Ross described BIT as “the central information technology authority for the government of the Virgin Islands, responsible for securing, modernizing, and aligning the territory’s IT infrastructure.” He said nearly every agency now relies on the bureau for at least some technology services, though many remain only partially integrated into its centralized systems.
Ross said a significant share of the $14,329,386 request would support software licensing, cybersecurity tools, infrastructure maintenance, vendor support and workforce development.
Sen. Angel Bolques Jr. pointed to increases identified in a post-audit review, noting that BIT’s Microsoft enterprise agreement rose from roughly $3.6 million to $4.5 million over the past year. He also questioned increases in other technology-related spending categories.
Ross said the Microsoft increase reflects the start of a new three-year contract cycle that includes expanded cybersecurity protections and access to Microsoft’s Copilot artificial intelligence platform. He also told senators that BIT has been consolidating software licenses across agencies in an effort to reduce duplication and lower overall costs over time.
Sen. Kenneth Gittens asked whether government agencies are required to go through BIT before hiring outside technology vendors. Ross said they are not, meaning agencies can still sign their own IT contracts without using the central technology office.
Gittens and Sen. Kurt Vialet said that could lead to agencies paying for services the government already provides through BIT, such as cybersecurity or software, which may increase costs to taxpayers. They questioned why all agencies are not required to use the same centralized technology systems instead of choosing their own.
Ross said BIT has worked to standardize cybersecurity systems, network equipment and other core technology across agencies and has been gradually pulling more departments into its managed network. He agreed that stronger coordination could reduce duplication but said requiring agencies to route more technology decisions through BIT would likely require additional staffing and resources.
Ross told lawmakers the bureau operates a Government Network Operations and Security Center that monitors threats across executive-branch networks, using security tools to detect phishing attempts, password-spray attacks and other suspicious activity.
Deputy Director Jonathan Tucker said government employees are required to complete cybersecurity awareness training and that BIT tracks completion rates by agency, reporting lapses to department heads.
Ross acknowledged that many government systems still rely on aging technology, which can create vulnerabilities, and said the bureau receives regular reports on new threats and weaknesses. “It’s never done,” he said, referring to the ongoing effort to address cybersecurity threats in an evolving landscape.
Lawmakers also discussed the bureau’s staffing challenges. Ross said BIT has struggled to recruit and retain specialized technology workers, particularly in cybersecurity and radio communications, because government salaries for those roles are not competitive and some employees are “woefully underpaid” for their responsibilities.
He said recent hiring has reduced overall vacancies, but key positions remain unfilled, including radio frequency technicians and a network security administrator. Ross added that any move to require agencies to route more technology decisions through BIT would need to be matched with additional staffing to handle the increased workload.
Ross pointed to the Land Mobile Radio Project as one of the most consequential technology efforts underway in government because it supports public safety communications, emergency coordination and operational resilience across the territory.
The project will upgrade the territory’s radio system to the national P25 standard and replace handheld and vehicle‑mounted radios used by first responders. It also includes upgrades and repairs to communications tower sites across the territory, along with new backhaul and power solutions, to improve reliability and keep communications operating during hurricanes and power outages.
Ross said the system underpins daily public safety communications and emergency coordination and is designed to remain operational during hurricanes and power outages. He told senators BIT has completed early planning stages with vendors and is now moving into design and implementation.
Committee Chair Novelle E. Francis Jr. also pressed for development of a government‑wide online payment system and questioned whether BIT is being involved early enough in planning new public facilities, including schools. Ross said the Department of Finance is leading the payment‑portal effort and that he did not have a current update, but agreed that bringing BIT into building design earlier would help avoid future compatibility and maintenance problems.
Throughout the hearing, senators generally praised BIT’s role in supporting daily government operations and public safety, while probing Ross to justify rising technology costs and explain how the bureau will address cybersecurity threats and coordination between agencies.
Ross said earlier years focused on building out shared technology systems, while the 2027 budget is aimed at operating, maintaining and scaling the infrastructure that now supports a growing share of government services.
