[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6488737,"mediaKeyId","5576773-fbb83207080c82df713b80efa85e2eef","parentId",5576773,"title","LEPC warns deletion of operating funds risks making federal grants unallowable; seeks restoration in FY2026","audioSeconds",1519,"startMs",2517000,"endMs",4036000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576773-fbb83207080c82df713b80efa85e2eef&start=2517&end=4036","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576773-fbb83207080c82df713b80efa85e2eef/thumbnail_2517000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6488737/LEPC-warns-deletion-of-operating-funds-risks-making-federal-grants-unallowable-seeks-restoration-in-FY2026","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488737-5c97a8c2eaf7ed14a0880c22573d6012/orig.mp4?Expires=1775648720&Signature=HSMEG8nYVbVNRnnOZHU6ubvv25ZTlxL2GMqPNFHWPiCzp9RIuB-lSDqd8k5rewhB2mKoaikW4JJK5sgkZE~DwzD2ZyGPDZecMhNXqjX2MwgF09-U0fnAhpNCMPWXSVJ5pqdmD7hl5X3hawkA2uMy-b5qwp9h~UfdDk1UBcY59zYGdWoAE5e2oom78la8bBR7FDhKa~SwIyfW6j5DSmo6wyecDMYZtOWDO~pWq-H-78oEprYC19Ysfs-ZCnxH3V2-oPsJGudStnSgLnuVuExE432mEeDHrFVh374oEDoue2nz0TzMyfrwNXP7rLG92MRlwbTv0sPUAEBJS9YU21aVjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Virgin Islands Legislature","date","2025-08-13T20:28:49.383Z","article","The Law Enforcement Planning Commission (LEPC), which serves as the territory's State Administering Agency for multiple U.S. Department of Justice grants, told the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on Aug. 13 that a prior deletion of its non‑personnel operating funds creates a federal compliance risk.

\"This action meets the definition of supplanting, which is strictly prohibited,\" LEPC Executive Director Melito A. Smith Jr. told the committee, describing the 2025 appropriation change that removed funds for rent, utilities, telephones and janitorial services with the stated legislative intent that federal grants cover those costs.

Why it matters: Federal grant rules require that federal funds supplement, not replace, state or local funds for routine operational costs. LEPC said the FY2025 appropriation removed all other‑services funding outside payroll and left those necessary operating costs where federal grants could not lawfully pay them without risk of audit disallowances.

What LEPC told senators
- Legal authority and role: Smith summarized LEPC's statutory authority under Virgin Islands Code Title 3 and its role as the State Administering Agency for DOJ grants including JAG, VOCA, VAWA, RSAT and others. He detailed LEPC's subaward activity, compliance work, and the commission's role as a fiscal agent for programs such as Project Safe Neighborhoods.
- Supplanting and practical effects: Smith said the Senate's FY2025 deletion of other services effectively shifted rent, telephone and janitorial costs to federal grants and explained DOJ guidance places the burden on the recipient to document that federal funds were not used to supplant local funds. \"No justifiable documentation exists other than the senate's intent to remove all other costs outside of personnel,\" Smith said, adding, \"As a result LEPC has been unable to pay costs associated with rent, utilities, janitorial services, telephones.\"
- Resulting program impacts and remedies: LEPC reported that an Office of Management and Budget appropriation request is in process to cover FY2025 operating shortfalls and asked the Legislature to reinstate other‑services funding in the FY2026 appropriation. Smith also asked for support resolving outstanding single‑audit submissions for FY2022 and FY2023, which DOJ has identified as a condition to release or continue certain victim‑services and VAWA funds.

LEPC workload and grants status
Smith told the committee LEPC administers 10 federal grant programs and had made recent subawards and closeouts across multiple years; some federal awards are on reimbursement years and require subrecipient invoicing to reflect as expenditure in federal reports. He said LEPC has established a triannual Virgin Islands Criminal Justice Stakeholders Meeting and is developing a criminal justice data warehouse and behavioral health interventions, and that technical assistance from the National Criminal Justice Association has supported subcommittee work.

Senators' questions and LEPC responses
Senators pressed LEPC on the amount deleted and on indirect/administrative cost recovery. LEPC fiscal director Avril Charles said the deleted other‑services amount was about $2,000,000 and that LEPC currently does not claim indirect costs on its federal grants. LEPC staff said they are seeking advice and technical assistance from DOJ and OMB and have requested the reinstatement of other‑services funding for FY2026.

Ending note: LEPC asked the committee to restore a modest amount in other services for FY2026 to avoid a repeat of the supplanting problem and to allow continued subaward activity and federal compliance. The agency asked the Legislature for close cooperation with OMB to ensure single audits and other federal filing obligations are submitted so the territory can access funds already awarded.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","08-13-2025 Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance","oneSentenceSummary","The Law Enforcement Planning Commission told a Senate budget committee that a 2025 appropriation cut to its 'other services' operating line has forced LEPC into a compliance risk: shifting those recurring local costs onto DOJ grants would meet the federal definition of 'supplanting' and could make some federal spending unallowable.","taxTitle","Committees\t, Legislative, Virgin Islands, International","taxId",17312,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6488742,"VIPD seeks $73.3 million general fund as department cites drops in overtime and progress on consent decree",1200,1344000,2544000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576773-fbb83207080c82df713b80efa85e2eef&start=1344&end=2544","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576773-fbb83207080c82df713b80efa85e2eef/thumbnail_1344000.jpg","/articles/6488742/VIPD-seeks-733-million-general-fund-as-department-cites-drops-in-overtime-and-progress-on-consent-decree","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488742-af1a96dfea04f969530f3f3db63136ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1775648720&Signature=GZV-W54fJM5RX8rkyzvLFu3NOD16vNtPPYvX5XtPtHuH0T78ZQPnXolJWaGBhBwatQPQesJ5nn-rVgDbidyII8ZKg-JI~kwN3orEyl6KNNqv7tXq7Cy6YgBDzgrNNTGxtzLvjvSbKZCy0AfEcIP5Bsunrkafum2JoeMlBfgMTY~hUpJSAchSEZi1g7A9f~Zbue2RH4DFhM4t5IJNSv~8xtd7Q0uRr2KSsj913~q7RIyc1DcJUcih4pJ-KcM8HAoP1u7yBfHSp88A6Y95K470onIiGGPzY20Eybl2FVxV8xT5meVBow33Gpr1jeJbr0sAYwAaDAL1t8-3wvyaZMD6lg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Virgin Islands Police Department on Aug. 13 told the Legislature's Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance that it will seek the Office of Management and Budget–recommended general fund appropriation of $73,339,967 for fiscal year 2026 while continuing to rely on federal grants and other funds to support operations.

Commissioner Mario M. Brooks, testifying with senior staff, said the department has reduced overtime spending sharply. \"At the current rate, we anticipate expending $15,549,930 at the end of fiscal year 2025, which represents a 36% reduction,\" he said, citing a drop from $24,126,044 in overtime in fiscal 2024 to $13,157,633 year to date in 2025.

Brooks said the department's FY2026 general fund request includes personal services, fringe benefits, supplies and capital outlay and called particular attention to capital projects and grant-funded equipment. He said the VIPD expects $11,714,637 in federal funds and a $3,000,000 appropriation from the territory's tourism advertising revolving fund for tourism-related policing initiatives. \"The budget also includes non appropriated funds of $584,314 for the Peace Officers Standard and Training Fund and an additional $11,714,637 anticipated from federal funds,\" Brooks said.

Why it matters: The department says the overtime reduction both improves fiscal discipline and preserves operational readiness; senators pressed for details about vendor payments, vendor backlog and facility leases that affect where officers work and where evidence and records are kept.

What the department plans and where it is now
- Cameras and real-time crime centers: Brooks said the department is finalizing phase 2 of a territorywide camera installation, license-plate readers and additional Pantel Zoom cameras. Kishana Tweed, director of information systems, told the committee she anticipates the camera project will be completed by December 2025 and that phase 2 camera work is in its final stages.
- Real-time crime center: Brooks described a multi-site real-time crime center project that will integrate cameras, plate-readers, ShotSpotter and other sensors with a unified map-based interface and said vendors already are building out equipment and furniture. The department plans to start with two centers (one per district) and deploy 40 in-car units in a pilot. Brooks said the vendor has begun build-out and units will be shipped to territory locations.
- Fleet and in-car technology: The committee heard that a separate in-car solution contract for vehicle connectivity and e‑citation integration is in force; the contract value is $2,110,249.76 for three years with a one-year option and the first-year installations are underway with a pilot of 40 vehicles.

Staffing, recruitment and training
Brooks reported recent hiring and recruitment measures: 15 new civilian hires in FY2025, 17 recruits graduated from the police academy and three auxiliaries converted to full-time officers. He described expanded cadet and youth internship programs and said the department aims to begin another academy class by the end of the calendar year.

Vendor payments and lease commitments
Senators probed a multi-million-dollar backlog of vendor payments and lease obligations. VIPD CFO Sandra Webster said the department has submitted allotments and many payments are awaiting release by the Department of Finance; she reported total vendor obligations of approximately $2,000,134,814 across aging bands and said payments are processed as funding becomes available. Brooks and Webster also said the department is negotiating to consolidate leased sites and is developing maintenance plans for temporary leased headquarters and other sites. Brooks said the St. Croix headquarters under construction will allow the VIPD to vacate a deteriorating facility.

Consent decree and monitoring
Brooks briefed senators on the department's progress toward compliance with its consent decree and interaction with the independent monitoring team and the U.S. Department of Justice. Brooks said: \"The paragraph concerning citizens' complaints remains in compliance and is expected to be removed from the consent decree by March 2026.\" He said the department expects to complete remaining compliance steps in 2025 and enter a two-year monitoring period for outstanding provisions.

What legislators pressed
Senators repeatedly asked about: (1) vendor payments and overdue invoices with Department of Finance; (2) the pace of grant-funded project spending and whether federal grant balances could be at risk if not obligatied; (3) timelines for rolling out vehicle installs and upgrades; and (4) the effect of staffing losses on public safety. Brooks and other VIPD officials said they had made procedural changes, increased supervision of overtime, launched a maintenance plan for cameras, and were in ongoing conversations with OMB and Finance about cash-flow and lease funding.

Ending note: The VIPD emphasized improved fiscal controls and technology investments while acknowledging cash-flow and grant-administration hurdles that require interagency coordination. The department asked the committee and OMB to prioritize vendor payments and funding for critical capital projects so that installations and leases can be completed on schedule.

","Commissioner Mario M. Brooks presented the Virgin Islands Police Department's FY2026 general fund request of $73.34 million, reported a 36% drop in overtime spending, outlined investments in cameras and a real-time crime center, and answered senators' questions about vendor payments, leases and staffing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6488732,"GERS reports market gains, stressed funded ratio; board raises employer contribution to 26.5%",3052,244000,3296000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576773-fbb83207080c82df713b80efa85e2eef&start=244&end=3296","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576773-fbb83207080c82df713b80efa85e2eef/thumbnail_244000.jpg","/articles/6488732/GERS-reports-market-gains-stressed-funded-ratio-board-raises-employer-contribution-to-265","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488732-8c12986fa0633ec9a6092af1a3f4e9ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1775648720&Signature=jf9I-YrVixStXoMavPz50ZYXS9ibKdnGcugOJO~6kJWRi1fjbx3p9TGj4wxeJBEWKT8oDCUZeRGxZzIqt1vGbZf95T~VCuj8sU-Iz3sVNWLUtTBbbt6kmu4DHU0iRKZaw--VOHfazb6~2C2G4nAMIN6-FuUMrQVJRo7A7M3MM0m4W4aXQ7mF9Hb2SgsLcxrLzOPrLMviTZl07m84tH8WiWS7ck80JwXynza9mV2kCEqp5SV~wscs6hRngusr3KyC3NNlMbfnJ~fsbqLt6BD1FUzHrTBF5f~Xi2Lh6LLL6ACti3dngqZMQsZMPEsHrtYRjoZ7pu-OwDck00nxysZD9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Government Employees Retirement System (GERS) presented its annual overview to the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on Aug. 13, reporting strong market performance and progress on a newly opened hotel at Haven Site while underlining that the system remains well short of actuarial funding targets.

Administrator Angel E. Dawson Jr. said the system's market value of assets rose to $551.9 million as of Sept. 30, 2024, driven in part by a 24.3% investment return in that fiscal year. But the system's actuarial accrued liability was $3.91 billion, leaving an unfunded actuarial accrued liability of roughly $3.36 billion and an actuarial funded ratio of 14.1% on an ongoing basis.

\"Any reports of the GERS's death were exaggerated,\" Dawson said, noting improvement from prior years but describing the system's condition as \"serious\" rather than \"good\" because some vital indicators remain unstable and revenue flows from the territory's funding note are back‑loaded.

Board action and funding note risks
The GERS board has resolved to raise the employer contribution rate from 23.5% to 26.5% and set an implementation date of Oct. 1, 2025. Dawson described the board action as necessary to reduce medium‑ and long‑term insolvency risk given projections that, under certain scenarios, GERS assets could fall to levels that would threaten full benefit payments in the 2030s unless the note schedule and contribution rates are managed.

Dawson explained two actuarial scenarios the board reviewed showing that, with a continued shortfall in funding‑note payments (for example from lower rum cover‑over receipts) and a 6% assumed investment return, the system could be temporarily insolvent in the 2030s and may need territorial general‑fund support to pay full benefits in certain years.

Investments, loans and real estate
- Portfolio: Market value as of 06/30/2025 reported at $516.1 million with allocations across U.S. equities, international equities, fixed income, private equity and real estate. The system reported a one‑year return of 12.5% and fiscal‑year‑to‑date returns of 6.2% as of the hearing.
- Member loans and alternative assets: GERS has been expanding limited personal loans to active members and retirees. A 2024 active member limited loans program allocated $20 million (evenly split by district) and a 2025 limited retiree loans program had a $15 million allocation. As of July 31, 2025 GERS reported a loan portfolio of about $21.3 million including personal loans and legacy mortgages.
- Real property and Haven Site Mall: Administrator Dawson highlighted the opening of a new Hampton by Hilton on GERS' Haven Site Mall and said the hotel welcomed its first paying guest in early August. He said the Mall's appraised value increased and that the property had moved from loss to net cash surplus year‑to‑date, with a revenue share and guaranteed minimum payments to GERS under the hotel arrangement.

Why it matters: Even with recent investment gains and income from property development, GERS's actuarial funded percentage remains low and the board took the contested but fiscally driven step of increasing the employer contribution rate. The system said the rise is required to reduce the risk of temporary insolvency under plausible scenarios and to preserve benefit payments to retirees.

Ending note: Administrator Dawson urged continued cooperation among the Legislature, the executive branch and GERS to manage the funding‑note schedule, pursue asset development opportunities and keep the system on a path from \"serious\" toward \"fair\" and then \"good.\" He said GERS will continue to provide requested actuarial scenarios and financial detail to the committee.

","Government Employees Retirement System Administrator Angel E. Dawson Jr. reported strong recent investment returns and progress on the Haven Site Mall hotel project, but warned the system's funded ratio remains low (14.1% actuarial) and the board resolved to raise the employer contribution rate to 26.5% effective Oct. 1, 2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

LEPC warns deletion of operating funds risks making federal grants unallowable; seeks restoration in FY2026

VIPD seeks $73.3 million general fund as department cites drops in overtime and progress on consent decree

GERS reports market gains, stressed funded ratio; board raises employer contribution to 26.5%