Acting Taxicab Commission director asks Legislature for $1.5M to rebuild enforcement, tech and offices

Acting Executive Director Melissa Smith told the Senate Committee on Finance on Aug. 18 that the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission (VITCC) is operating with two administrative employees plus the acting director and lacks active enforcement officers — contributing to rising illegal taxi operations and a substantive gap in revenue collection.

Smith said the commission’s approved operational budget for fiscal 2026 is $556,043, funded from the taxi revolving fund ($395,603) and the tourism revolving fund ($160,440). She told senators revenue collections as of June 2025 were $298,442 and said the commission projects $550,000 in total revenue for the year. "As it stands today, the taxicab commission's budget does not meet the operational funding needs of the commission," Smith said. "It is estimated that the commission will need an infusion of funding in the amount of $1,500,000."

Why it matters: The commission regulates taxis, medallions, fares and driver licensing. Its enforcement and licensing work affects public safety, tourism transport availability and revenue that historically flowed to the territory through licensing, medallion sales and citations.

Smith gave the committee a list of operational shortfalls: staffing (only two administrative staff plus the acting director), outdated and largely paper-based records, office-space problems in Saint Thomas and Saint Croix, and a need to upgrade computer systems and connectivity. She said the bureau of information technology (BIT) is assessing the commission’s needs and that modernization would cost roughly $200,000–$400,000 depending on scope. "Computer system upgrades that are linked to modernization and digital transformation are critical to VITCC's ability to provide improved approval and processing services for the territory," Smith said.

Smith described enforcement as a pressing gap: the commission has had no active enforcement officers since retirements and resignations removed staff who had peace-officer status. She said the commission has requested personnel requisitions for one administrative secretary and three taxi inspectors (enforcement officers), and that the board and commission are discussing possible interim arrangements with the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs for enforcement support.

The commission outlined near-term management metrics it will track if funding and staff are provided: faster turnaround for document processing (Smith said processing improved from 30 days to same-day or next-day services in 2025), improved compliance rates among operators, and development of e-citation capabilities.

Senators asked routine budget and transparency questions at length. Committee chair Senator Noble Francis pressed for up-to-date revenue figures beyond June; Smith said she would provide August numbers after the hearing. Senators also probed vendor payments and outstanding invoices, office space problems and whether staff have received raises. Smith told the committee the commission had received $208,895.79 in appropriations to date for FY2025 and had revenues of $298,442 through June; she estimated vendor liabilities at about $7,745 and said vacancy savings were roughly $300,000 but offered to provide exact figures to the committee.

On workforce and training, the commission said it ran an initial taxi class that began July 15 and concluded Aug. 28 and that cohort 1 had produced 84 aspirants for class completion and badge processing; cohort 2 was planned for later. Smith said the $500 training cost for the class was underwritten by the Department of Tourism, while an application/processing fee of $200 was collected.

Ending: Smith asked the Legislature for funding help to restore enforcement and modernize the commission. "Your funding support of the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission is a commitment to public safety, economic development, and the modernization of taxi operation services," she said. The committee requested a more complete, up-to-date accounting of revenues, expenditures, vendor liabilities, PRF (personnel requisition form) statuses and BIT cost estimates; members signaled they will require those documents before acting on an expanded appropriation.