As we gear up for the 2024 Senate elections, it’s crucial to know where each candidate stands on issues that matter most to our community. To keep you informed, The Source has compiled a list of key questions on pressing topics affecting the Virgin Islands. The answers below are from St. Crox District incumbent Samuel Carrion.

Why are you running for office, what are your qualifications, and why should voters choose you? I am running for office as it is one of the ways I can most effectively serve the people of St. Croix.  I am a lifelong entrepreneur and I’ve worked in all three branches of our Government, most recently as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Mapp Administration. I hold Bachelor’s degrees in Business and Theology and I’m a certified language interpreter. Additionally, I have been very active in many St. Croix community organizations. I would ask voters to choose me as I work hard to represent all members of our community and strive to be your voice of compassion, commitment, and hope.

How would you address the high cost of living in the territory and the lack of affordable housing?

I have continued to work to address issues at the Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority as the high cost of power and water drives up the cost of all goods and services. I do believe there is much more we can do to make housing more affordable. I am currently reviewing the Virgin Islands government’s inventory of both buildings and land to see what may be suitable for housing. We must look at what we have that can be rehabilitated for either Government offices or affordable housing. This Government should invest in transforming all of its abandoned buildings.  I don’t see large housing developments as the answer, but rather creating more opportunities for first time home buyers and builders. I am a co-sponsor of Act# 8465, which provides downpayment grants through the V.I. Housing Finance Authority. How would you improve the territory’s electrical grid and implementation of renewable energy? WAPA has major organizational and infrastructure problems. I supported legislation for both an additional audit of its operations and for a “turn around” management firm to be hired to help address some of the ongoing internal issues. WAPA announced that a firm had been hired just last week. While neither of these measures will fix WAPA, we can’t justify pouring additional money into what is presently a failing operation without a new plan. As just one example, WAPA recently announced that it would have Customer Service employees work on Saturdays to address the billing problems created over the summer, when people began receiving double or triple their usual bill. I immediately wrote to WAPA urging them to instead reissue the incorrect bills rather than paying overtime and forcing customers to come into their offices. WAPA continues to be plagued by poor decision making.  On the infrastructure side, I have recently called on the Administration to take advantage of the knowledge and resources of the Army Corps of Engineers, which was previously willing to conduct a full review of our power grid. We clearly need greater expertise in order to improve the generation and distribution of power. Further, I continue to support green and alternative energy projects to include the wind turbines and new solar farm planned for St. Croix. I am hopeful that these projects will have a positive impact on WAPA’s ability to generate reliable and affordable power, but we must remain vigilant in our oversight until real change is enacted.

What would you do to expedite or improve the territory’s disaster recovery, which has dragged on for seven years now? 

I am exceptionally disappointed by the pace of our recovery and this remains one of the reasons why I decided to run for office. Senators have appropriated a line of credit to provide the matching funds necessary to get these projects off the ground, but continued and extensive oversight remains necessary. While there are problems locally, the process for accessing these federal funds is exceedingly complicated. Going forward, we must also be more assertive with our federal partners if we are to get the schools, hospitals, and other facilities that we so desperately need. What reforms would you propose to ensure our children are receiving the public education that they deserve?  I have four children – all of whom attended our public schools. First and foremost, we must get proper facilities in place for both students and staff. Senators recently legislated a School Building Authority to improve maintenance, but there is no question that most of our schools require rebuild or renovation. Too many instruction days have been lost to infrastructural issues, not to mention the many months lost to COVID and storms. Further, we must continue to update our policies as they relate to education, many of which have been in place more than 50 years. I am the sponsor of Act 8555, the Bilingual Education Act, which helps ensure that all Virgin Islands students have the tools for success. But more reforms are needed, starting with early childhood education, which has been proven as vital to future outcomes. Finally, we must better support our educators through improved salaries and training, while acknowledging that the students of the 2020s require more dynamic teaching methods. What are your solutions to address violent crime in the territory, especially among young men? Crime must be addressed holistically and I believe our Government must do better to provide more educational, recreational and career opportunities for young people in particular. Here on St. Croix, we still await the completion of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium, the reopening of the Vincent Mason Pool, and the real repair of our schools. It is easy to see why criminal activity would thrive under the current circumstances. I have continued to work to establish more for our youth, recently sponsoring a bill to cover all of St. Croix’s outdoor basketball courts with a roof, as just one example. On the law enforcement side, I will continue to support hiring more officers and measures that better control illegal firearms, such as the legislation I co-sponsored this term to enforce the declaration of firearm components coming in through the mail (Act 8547).

How can the territory improve upon its tourism product while addressing growing concerns about over-tourism? Are we too reliant on cruise tourism and what can be done to bring more overnight visitors?

I believe that there is much room for growth on St. Croix in terms of tourism, but we must take steps to protect our islands from overdevelopment. I am the sponsor of Act 8609, which reestablishes the Territorial Park System and we must add more land under its protection. While St. Thomas may be too reliant on cruise ship visits, I don’t think we are near that point here on St. Croix. In order to attract overnight visitors, we need to make St. Croix more accessible. I have sat in on meetings with the airlines, who indicate the best way to add more flights to St. Croix is to attract a major hotel chain to the island and I believe our Tourism Department should be pushed harder to help make this a reality. More frequent and more affordable flights will bring us more overnight visitors and improve the quality of life for residents. What would you propose to better support people dealing with mental illness, alcoholism, addiction, and homelessness? The current state of our mentally ill, addicted, and homeless populations greatly saddens me. Mental health care remains extremely limited here in the Virgin Islands, even for those with the resources to obtain such care. That’s why my colleagues and I worked on Act 8688 – the VI Behavioral Health Act. This legislation establishes a comprehensive framework to address mental health and homelessness in our community and appropriates $3 million for the initial design and architectural work on the mental health facility at Anna’s Hope, as well as $1 million for each district to have a mobile health van to take services to the community, and, most recently we appropriated $18 million from the Epstein Settlement Agreement for the construction of the mental health facility at Anna’s Hope. We desperately need these new facilities to house and treat these individuals.

What plans do you have to reestablish the libraries in the territory?

Our libraries should be thriving centers of community life and most of them, sadly, remain closed. I support the proposed removal of libraries from under the control Department of Planning & Natural Resources as I believe they need much greater attention. How can we provide access to affordable healthcare for individuals and small businesses? This is an ongoing problem and I believe we must explore what would be necessary to allow individuals and small businesses to possibly buy into the existing Government health insurance program, as a larger membership pool may benefit everyone. Further, we must better support our public clinics so that they can provide low cost services to those that most need them. Please tell us about any of your other priorities for the territory that are not addressed in the questions above. Supporting local non-profit organizations, pushing for greater Government accountability and efficiency, and advocating for youth and families will remain my priorities. However, I have three pieces of legislation I’ve been working hard on:

• Public Building Authority – this measure will consolidate and organize the maintenance of all Government properties through one central agency, which will save money, speed up repairs, and bring greater overall accountability to the process.

• Rideshare – to create an efficient digital alternative for both residents and visitors to engage vehicles for hire throughout the Territory. The Virgin Islands is greatly behind other destinations in this regard and it will also help residents address the lack of reliable public transportation.

• Environmental Impact Fee – To designate a portion of cruise ship passenger head taxes and hotel occupancy taxes to address the waste stream created by visitors. These new fees will be utilized for waste management and community beautification projects. Our islands are far too dirty and we must take action to clean them up for residents and acknowledge the impact of visitors.

And finally, if you could have one superpower to move the V.I. forward, what would it be and why? It is hard to choose just one, but I would end all violent crime here in the Virgin Islands. The impacts of violence are devastating and far reaching. Too many senior citizens, women and children are presently living in fear. We hear much about gun violence, but domestic violence is far too prevalent and school violence is seemingly on the rise. I truly wish for a community where everyone has a sense of safety and security.

As we gear up for the 2024 Senate elections, it’s crucial to know where each candidate stands on issues that matter most to our community. To keep you informed, The Source has compiled a list of key questions on pressing topics affecting the Virgin Islands. The answers below are from St. Croix District write-in candidate Nellie O’Reilly.

Why are you running for office, what are your qualifications, and why should voters choose you?

I am running for office as a Write-In candidate because I believe I can have a positive impact in the Legislature to effectuate much needed change. As a former 5 term senator (10 years) in the district of St. Croix, my record shows that I was able to sponsor and influence the passage of meaningful and far-reaching legislation that has helped to improve government operations and community projects. I feel that it is time for me to no longer stand on the sidelines. I hold a BS degree in Business Management and Finance. After leaving the Senate in 2018, I became a business partner in Sonya’s Fine Island Jewelry. As the hands-on managing partner since 2019, I have seen first-hand the challenges confronting small businesses in the territory and moreover St. Croix. I care deeply about our territory, about St. Croix in particular. St. Croix is lagging in economic growth, in community development, in infrastructure repairs, businesses are suffering, our best and brightest are leaving, the quality of life in our community has deteriorated. These are just a few of a long list of other concerns. St. Croix is suffering and needs someone who is committed to working directly on behalf of St. Croix. I am the advocate that St. Croix needs. As a Write-In candidate, I know that I have the expertise, commitment and energy to craft a vision forward that addresses our neglected issues with a focus on addressing healthcare, mental illness and all the disadvantages that stymie St. Croix’s growth and progress.

How would you address the high cost of living in the territory and the lack of affordable housing?

I will focus on expanding the St. Croix population in a culturally responsible way to encourage economic growth. A few of my priorities are: (1) Enter] into a public private partnership with established healthcare systems and mental health service providers off island to bring improved services to the island. This will allow St. Croix to establish itself as a destination for medical tourism and a place where residents can receive medical attention right here at home; (2) Engage a national builder to develop communities for retirees (55+) as well as micro-communities to expand affordable housing for residents; (3) Re-direct funding to create a revolving loan program for residents and small business to access renewable energy and fund legal services to assist with probate administration of derelict buildings in the downtown districts. Use the law passed in 2009 requiring grocery stores to provide DLCA with all shipping manifests that include the cost of goods. This will allow us to identify price gouging and foster competition.

How would you improve the territory’s electrical grid and implementation of renewable energy?

First and foremost, I will push for a full-scale, in-depth analysis and assessment of WAPA and our energy needs territory-wide. Once we know this, we can then begin to explore private partners and the refinery in providing energy solutions to the island of St. Croix. We can also expand renewable energy through the implementation of a revolving loan program to subsidize renewable energy for residents and small businesses. We should also open transmission lines to private power generators through Power Purchase agreements. I will also advocate restructuring the WAPA board by electing its members and removing the control of the electrical plant from the executive branch.

What would you do to expedite or improve the territory’s disaster recovery, which has dragged on for seven years now? 

One of my first undertakings if elected would be to call for an immediate meeting with all the stakeholders to find out where all the projects stand, what timelines they must adhere to, what impediments have impacted completion and what must be done to move them forward. As a former senator I was a watchdog for our people and was not afraid to hold agencies accountable. I will continue to do so. I will continue, as before, to ask tough questions. I will continue to push for accountability at every stage and level. My commitment to transparency is clear. I sponsored the VI Transparency Act in 2010. I will push vigorously for the legislature to hold monthly hearings on the progress of projects funded by disaster recovery funds. In addition, I will move for greater oversight of all federal funds and grants to ensure timely disbursement, spending and reporting. We must utilize every dollar and not return any funds from a lack of effective management. Finally, the Legislature needs to fully vet appointees and not rubber stamp agency heads. They should present a plan on how to improve the agencies they aim to represent. Often the people running the critical agencies do not have the experience necessary to execute the department’s mandates.

What reforms would you propose to ensure our children are receiving the public education that they deserve? 

Education reform is about how public schools operate, how teachers teach and how our schools are managed. We have a top-heavy education administration. We have stalled repair projects that impact student learning. Reform must consider our students’ socio-economic status. Reform must also look at working to resolve the wide array of issues affecting students’ learning and teachers teaching. We must address and build partnerships with doctors, mental health practitioners and community and businesses to meet the whole child’s needs and family needs. We must address incentives for our teachers. We must look at placing full decision-making and accountability at the school level for administrators to operate budgets and push for individual school reforms. This is why I also support other evidenced-based educational initiatives such as gender-based education. I also support piloting a selective Charter or a magnet school, to create academic excellence and teacher motivation and innovation. There are other federally funded education grants that allow for such innovative reforms that we should explore. I support expanding the authority of the Board of Education, to require BOE members to have extensive education backgrounds and degrees. We need to give the board the ability to hire the superintendent of education and to be able to create standards and monitor departmental progress. The current structure doesn’t work. Additionally, our students need extended day learning in facilities that are safe. I also support early intervention to identify mental illness. Students displaying anxiety or depression should be evaluated and provided with supplemental services to include home visits and support for parents and other siblings. I also support establishing a CTEC community college for students who seek alternatives to a 4-year degree at UVI. In the final analysis, education should be about creating opportunities for futures, for creativity, for building and realizing dreams. And how that is cultivated from day 1 is important.

What are your solutions to address violent crime in the territory, especially among young men?

Research shows that at-risk behaviors start in the home, with peers and with a lack of activities. A lot of our young men face societal pressures that expose them to trauma and stress and have no outlets or community agencies to guide them. Young people need activities to keep them busy and engaged. They need skills training and workforce development. The Economic Development Authority provides tax incentives for the development of youth-related activities. This program must be widely promoted to incentivize the development of youth recreation activities. The shutdown Sunshine Mall should be promoted to potential investors to develop activities such as rock climbing, mini golf, go-carts, and skating. Early intervention as mentioned above will help us identify areas of concern and address the core problems at home. I propose increasing funding for summer jobs and apprenticeships. Improving education and providing therapeutic outlets is paramount in addressing violence. There needs to be a more concerted effort between the Department of Human Services and the juvenile court to work with the VI National Guard Youth Challenge Academy. Funding increases for Out-of-school and after-school programs that focus on a variety of project-based and skills-based activities must become a priority. Dedicating and the strategic placement of resources are critical. On a more immediate basis we need to increase salaries for police officers, cap overtime, implement a robust recruitment program and offer longevity bonuses. Need to install cameras at all stoplights to be able to capture those who violate traffic laws as well as be able to document criminal activities. In addition, I support installing metal detectors at all ports and post offices.

How can the territory improve upon its tourism product while addressing growing concerns about over-tourism? Are we too reliant on cruise tourism and what can be done to bring more overnight visitors?

We are island destinations with great beauty and people look to escape in such settings for multiple reasons. We have relied on tourism as an economic driver for decades. Tourism is and must be recognized as a powerful driver of sustainable economic growth and prosperity. Tourism is not only about tourists but also about giving small businesses and entrepreneurs an opportunity to thrive, to build niche businesses to support themselves and their families and about exposing unique aspects of our culture through these small businesses. It can be a win-win for all sides. St. Croix provides a unique experience for visitors. While it would be wise to develop ways to grow our medium and long-term visitor-ship, cruise ship passengers and overnight visitors have sustained our tourism industry. Until we can grow other sectors effectively, we must continue to grow all sectors of our tourism product to continue to be competitive. At the same time, we must be mindful of the effect of tourism exposure on climate change, sustainability, crowding and the overall impact on our local communities. We must be forward thinkers and discuss policies and practices where our residents, businesses and our beaches and other natural resources can be sustained in a resilient way, respectful of our biodiversity and our local needs. On St. Croix, we can continue to grow by carrying out legislation passed to study the feasibility of developing an adventure park in Frederiksted. This would provide entertainment for all visitors as well as residents. The Gallows Bay port is poised to host luxury liners once the port authority can relocate the cargo activities to the south shore. Expansion of the boardwalk, and the rehabilitation of downtown Christiansted will be critical to provide high net worth cruise passengers with a memorable experience. St. Croix is also a popular diving destination. To compete with other destinations, we need to open the market to the Ride Share industry. I propose to consider bifurcating the Tourism Department to ensure fair promotion of St. Croix. I also propose to turn over the management of the St. Croix piers to WICO or another private entity.

What would you propose to better support people dealing with mental illness, alcoholism, addiction, and homelessness?

I support entering Public Private Partnerships with established providers of mental health services and substance abuse to build and operate an in-patient and outpatient facility. We should immediately work on repurposing a building to house the homeless and connect them to services. The man camp units are perfect to get this initiative off the ground. We need to encourage churches and pastors to be more involved and support those in need. I propose establishing a mental health court to manage the intervention and treatment of individuals with mental illness and substance abuse. I propose amendments to the Cannabis legalization law to ensure that we protect children by controlling access to edibles and ensuring that businesses that engage in the sale of these products do it in a safe and responsible manner.

What plans do you have to reestablish the libraries in the territory?

Libraries are often important safe spaces where children and young people have access to levels of knowledge and positive experiences they may not be exposed to anywhere else. Boosting programs in libraries could be a good way to provide families with places to bring children, as well as places where young people look for positive peer interactions and new learning experiences.

Libraries should be placed under the University of the Virgin Islands. DPNR has no business operating libraries. Community hours should be focused on directing students to work in libraries and offer after school and tutoring programs at these locations.

How can we provide access to affordable healthcare for individuals and small businesses?

The government health insurance program should be opened to residents and small businesses. I also propose eliminating the gross receipt tax and replacing it with a sales tax of 6%. I believe this will alleviate the cost of doing business and allow small business to offer health insurance benefits to employees. A long-term plan should include setting aside a portion of the sales taxes to build a national health insurance program.

.Please tell us about any of your other priorities for the territory that are not addressed in the questions above.

We need to change the way we govern. We need a mayor for each district. The funding used to operate the administrator’s office can be converted to fund a mayor’s office. This is crucial as residents rely heavily on the members of the senate to address their day-to-day challenges. The mayor’s office needs to be a resource to residents when navigating government bureaucracy. This would allow us to implement a part-time legislature. I support sub districts for the election of senators, and I support a part-time senate.

And finally, if you could have one superpower to move the V.I. forward, what would it be and why?

My commitment to solving problems. I believe that my past experiences both personal, in business and as a former senator have provided me with deep insight into what it takes to bring solutions to problems. I would push my colleagues relentlessly to have open, honest and frank discussions about our problems, about creative solutions, about accountability and about caring for the communities we represent. I believe I have the power to influence others to do good. I would use my strong persuasive skills to bring people together. All my experiences to date have helped me to cultivate strength, resilience and endurance. I would use these characteristics to challenge the status quo. I would encourage friends and foes and colleagues to put service above self and to keep the future of our young people at the center of all the policies they implement. I would challenge them to leave a legacy of far-reaching good for our future generations.