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Virgin Islands Bureau of Motor Vehicles requests $6.49 million for FY2026; officials cite automation, facilities and enforcement gaps
Summary
Barbara Jackson McIntosh, director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Motor Vehicles, appeared July 1 before the Legislature's Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance to present the agency's FY2026 funding request of $6,486,954 and to discuss automation, a point system grant that requires a statutory change, commercial driver license planning, and facility and enforcement shortfalls.
BARBARA JACKSON McINTOSH, director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Motor Vehicles, told the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on July 1 that the agency is asking for a total FY2026 package of $6,486,954 to fund operations, personnel and continuing IT work.
McIntosh said the BMV expects to rely on a mix of funds for the request: a general-fund appropriation of $3,596,365, $1,000,000 from the BMV fund and $1,890,589 from the personalized license plate (PLP) fund. "We are here to provide testimony on our fiscal year 20 26 budget for the operations of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles," she said.
Why it matters: the BMV collects fees and taxes that flow to territory accounts and reported projected FY2025 revenue of $10,550,813; as of May 30, 2025 collections were $7,134,788 and McIntosh reported $7,844,179 on July 1. Committee members pressed agency leaders about where growth can come from and about operational gaps that could reduce revenue capture, such as unregistered and uninsured vehicles on the road.
Key budget and program numbers
- FY2026 request (total): $6,486,954; general fund portion: $3,596,365; BMV fund: $1,000,000; personalized license plate fund: $1,890,589. - FY2025 projected revenue: $10,550,813; BMV reported collections as of May 30, 2025 of $7,134,788 and $7,844,179 as of July 1. McIntosh said collections trend about $892,000 per month. - Point system grant: proposed cost $237,089; internal development of the VI point system is complete but implementation is pending a legislative amendment.
Automation, KPIs and paper reduction
McIntosh described an ongoing automation push and said the agency has nine key performance indicators; it has met seven so far this year and is "confident that we will reach the other 2 goals by the end of f y 20 25." The BMV is promoting online transactions (driver renewals and vehicle registrations) to reduce in-person demand and to cut paperwork. She described…
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