Lawmakers offered a mix of praise, concern and cautious optimism following Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s final State of the Territory address Monday night, with several senators acknowledging progress made over the past eight years while pressing the administration for clearer timelines, deeper detail and stronger accountability in its final year in office.
Bryan’s nearly two-hour address, delivered during an open session of the 36th Legislature, focused on stabilizing government finances, rebuilding infrastructure, modernizing healthcare and restoring trust following federal corruption convictions involving senior officials. In interviews afterward, senators largely agreed the speech reflected the arc of Bryan’s tenure — but differed on whether it sufficiently addressed the realities constituents continue to face.
Sen. Marise James said she appreciated the governor’s decision to emphasize accomplishments, noting that progress is often overshadowed by unmet expectations.
“I thought it was important for the governor to outline all his accomplishments over the last seven years,” James said. “Sometimes we forget that things have improved. Most of the time we focus on what hasn’t happened yet — and he’s right that a lot of these things take time.”
James pointed to Bryan’s remarks on education outcomes and workforce readiness, saying she was encouraged by improvements in student performance but stressed the need to further strengthen skills training and prepare residents for future industries.
“I was happy to hear that student scores are improving,” she said. “Now we need to keep improving skills and make sure we’re meeting the future.”
At the same time, James said affordability remains a major concern, particularly as inflation and housing costs continue to strain residents.
“Affordability is a big thing in the Virgin Islands,” she said. “Even with all the work that’s been done on housing, it still needs to increase more than it has.”
James also said she agreed with Bryan’s broader point that communities cannot function without residents contributing to shared needs such as waste removal and healthcare.
Near the end of his address, Bryan posed a broader question about priorities, suggesting that solving persistent “life problems” such as healthcare and infrastructure may ultimately require thinking differently about how resources are dedicated — a reflection he offered without outlining a proposal or policy.
James praised the territory’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the administration’s most significant accomplishments, while noting areas she felt were missing from the speech, including agriculture and redevelopment of Paul E. Joseph Stadium on St. Croix.
“For me, agriculture factors into whether we survive or thrive in the future,” she said.
Sen. Franklin Johnson described his reaction as mixed, saying he was “a little disappointed” but still hopeful that long-promised projects could be completed before Bryan leaves office next year.
“This is his last State of the Territory and his last year in office,” Johnson said. “Hopefully some of the things he’s been promising for quite some time can be fulfilled.”
Johnson pointed to the Juan F. Luis Hospital rebuild — which Bryan said is in the final stages of contracting — noting that earlier timelines have already passed. He also cited long-neglected roads in Frederiksted, including Strand, King and Queen streets, as examples of projects that remain unfinished.
“The Legislature has a lot of work to do to hold the administration’s feet to the fire,” Johnson said, adding that he remains ready to work with the governor while demanding results.
Sen. Novelle Francis said Bryan’s address was consistent with expectations for a final-term overview, highlighting both achievements and challenges.
“I think he talked about the successes, and I also think he was forthright about some of the challenges,” Francis said, pointing specifically to the federal corruption convictions of two former commissioners and the former Office of Management and Budget director — cases Bryan described in his address as “perhaps the most painful test of this term.”
Francis said he hoped to hear stronger commitments to expanding local tools to address corruption, including strengthening the Department of Justice’s capacity to prosecute white-collar crime and implementing a local grand jury system.
“We have to stress the integrity of government,” Francis said. “We can’t let corruption fester.”
Francis also emphasized the Legislature’s role in many of the initiatives Bryan cited, noting that several accomplishments required legislative action.
“His successes are the successes of the community,” Francis said. “And we all have a responsibility to make sure he finishes strong.”
Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger said she appreciated Bryan’s acknowledgment of tourism’s role in stabilizing the economy and his public disappointment over the corruption convictions involving former cabinet members. But she questioned why corruption enforcement continues to rely on federal intervention.
“My disappointment is why it’s always the federal government that has to come in,” she said. “Why isn’t our local government at the forefront of addressing corruption?”
Heyliger said she would have liked to hear more detail about healthcare, citing her own recent hospitalization and the strain she observed on doctors and nurses — an issue Bryan addressed by outlining plans to unify the territory’s hospital system under a single leadership structure and expand telehealth services.
She was also sharply critical of the absence of any mention of recent power outages on St. Thomas and St. John, which occurred just days before the address.
“After what people went through Friday, Saturday and Sunday with power going on and off, I was totally livid,” she said. “This is what our people have to suffer through.”
Sen. Angel Bolques, the St. John senator-at-large, described the speech as upbeat but lacking specificity.
“It was very broad,” Bolques said. “It wasn’t detailed or specific to the concerns Virgin Islanders are facing right now.”
Bolques cited the absence of discussion on agriculture, food security, mental health services and youth support, though he acknowledged that Bryan was clear about not being able to resolve every issue before leaving office.
“He’s letting the next administration know that some responsibilities will be inherited,” Bolques said, “but that he’ll knock out as much as he can before he leaves.”
Bolques also pointed to ongoing disaster recovery projects on St. John — including schools, health facilities, fire stations and the Cruz Bay police station — saying lawmakers will be pressing for clearer timelines as members of the Disaster Recovery Committee.
Sen. Clifford Joseph echoed concerns about agriculture and food security, framing the issue through the lens of emergency preparedness following hurricanes and the pandemic.
“We should at least be able to sustain ourselves for two weeks,” Joseph said.
Joseph also addressed Bryan’s remarks on the Fire and EMS merger, saying the consolidation has produced some improvement but remains constrained by staffing shortages.
“We’ve moved forward from where we were,” he said, “but there’s still room for growth.”
Sen. Kurt Vialet offered one of the most detailed critiques, describing the address as a compilation of themes from previous years rather than a roadmap for the administration’s final months.
“I really thought I was going to hear specifics about the next 11 months,” Vialet said. “Exactly what’s going to be accomplished, and when.”
Vialet took issue with what he described as credit being claimed for initiatives that required legislative action, including pension funding measures, minimum salary increases and the Hotel Development Act. He also raised concerns about delays in implementing pay increases already approved by law.
At the same time, Vialet praised progress in stabilizing the unemployment trust fund and the creation of a government stabilization fund, calling both significant accomplishments.
But he said cash-flow issues remain evident, citing unpaid vendors, delayed allotments to agencies and declining income tax collections late last year.
“The picture painted today is not what everyday people are experiencing,” Vialet said, pointing to ongoing road conditions, healthcare shortages and infrastructure challenges, particularly on St. Croix.
Despite the criticism, several senators said they remain committed to working with the administration during its final year.
“There are things that have improved,” Vialet said. “There are a lot of things we could do better. Now the job of the Legislature is to demand timelines and accountability.”
Sen. Kenneth Gittens echoed concerns about the lack of specificity in the governor’s remarks, saying he had hoped to hear clearer plans for the administration’s final months in office. Gittens said the address revisited themes from prior years but offered few concrete timelines, particularly for education, healthcare and mental health services. He also questioned whether the financial picture presented aligned with what residents and businesses are experiencing, pointing to ongoing vendor arrears and cash-flow pressures. While acknowledging progress in some areas, Gittens said lawmakers will need to press the administration for clearer answers and accountability as it works to close out the term.
Together, the reactions underscored the central tension of Bryan’s final State of the Territory address: a record defined by stabilization and incremental progress, weighed against persistent challenges lawmakers say residents continue to feel — and a narrowing window to deliver on promises before a new administration takes over.
As the Governor prepares to deliver his State of the Territory Address, the people of the Virgin Islands deserve more than optimism, selective framing, or recycled talking points. They deserve the truth.
And the truth is this. The Government of the Virgin Islands is in a deeply precarious financial position, one that can no longer be obscured by messaging or managed away with hopeful projections. The numbers already tell the story, and they tell it plainly.
For years, the government’s finances have revolved around two primary accounts. Understanding the distinction between them is essential, because confusion, intentional or not, has helped mask the severity of the problem.
Bank One is the government’s operating account. It is the checkbook. This is where payroll and vendor payments are made, utilities are covered, and routine government expenses are handled. It is funded by recurring revenues such as taxes, fees, and collections. When officials say cash is tight, what they really mean is that Bank One is stressed or depleted.
Bank Two is not an operating account and was never intended to function as one. It is a clearing and holding account for restricted and pass through funds. This includes the Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund, which is largely funded by hotel room taxes and legally designated for tourism marketing, not general government spending. Bank Two also temporarily holds taxes and fees collected for agencies, fines and penalties, permits, refunds, and internal transfers awaiting reconciliation.
Here is the reality leadership has avoided stating clearly.
Bank One is empty.
Bank Two is empty.
Not low. Not strained. Empty.
This is not conjecture. The Department of Finance’s monthly revenue reports, publicly posted, show ongoing stress in operating cash balances and recurring revenues that consistently underperform projections. The Internal Revenue Bureau’s reports reinforce the same conclusion. Month after month, the data shows declining balances, weak collections, and no meaningful cushion left to absorb fiscal shocks.
These are government documents telling a glaring story.
With the unprecedented level of federal relief funds received by the territory in recent years, the Virgin Islands should not be in this position. There is no defensible explanation for being this financially depleted after historic federal support. None.
Yet instead of addressing the structural failures early, the government leaned on temporary money. Restricted funds were treated like flexible cash. Bank Two became a crutch rather than a clearing account. Now, there is nothing left to lean on.
Quiet signals suggest that borrowing may once again be floated as a solution. Bonds. Financing. Short term fixes. This playbook should look familiar. Borrowing to plug holes created by mismanagement is not a strategy. It is a warning sign that the fundamentals have collapsed.
Then there is the Epstein money.
Those funds were spent. They were never properly reported as spent. To this day, there is no comprehensive public accounting, no transparent breakdown, and no clear explanation to the people of this territory about where that money went. That alone should alarm everyone, regardless of political affiliation.
This is not a personal attack.
This is not partisan.
This is math.
This is governance.
The financial crisis facing the Virgin Islands did not happen overnight. It was created over time through poor fiscal discipline, weak internal controls, and a persistent refusal to confront reality early enough to correct course.
A State of the Territory Address that does not grapple honestly with this financial condition is not leadership. It is avoidance. The people deserve candor. They deserve to hear where things went wrong, what guardrails failed, and what will be done differently moving forward. They deserve transparency, not reassurance.
Markets do not respond to optimism. Creditors do not operate on vibes. Federal partners do not rely on talking points. They look at balance sheets.
At some point, the Governor must reckon with the truth. The numbers already have.
The Government of the Virgin Islands is broke.
Literally.
And the people of this territory did not deserve that.
