Senate committee holds bill on 20-year lease for Cruz Bay taxi stand after contested testimony

The Committee on Budget, Appropriation and Finance of the 36th Legislature held Bill No. 36‑0092, a proposed lease between the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Saint John Taxi Services Corporation for Parcel D‑2 (Cruise Bay, Cruz Bay, St. John), after a roll-call vote at a June 18 hearing in the Cleon H. C. Crickie Legislative Conference Room.

The vote to hold the measure in committee at the call of the chair passed on a roll call reported as 3 in favor, 2 opposed and 2 absent. Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff made the motion to hold; Senator Ray Fonseca seconded it.

Why it matters: Parcel D‑2 at Cruz Bay is the main public taxi stand and the primary point of entry for many visitors to St. John. Supporters told the committee a formal long-term lease would create legal clarity, allow capital investment and protect government interests; opponents and several drivers warned a single long-term lease risks excluding independent drivers and institutionalizing unfair discipline or fees.

Assistant Commissioner Vincent Richards of the Department of Property and Procurement testified that the department seeks legislative approval for the proposed lease and described the agreement’s key terms. He said the parcel is approximately 2,700 square feet (about 0.062 U.S. acres) and that the department previously issued a one‑year revocable license ratified Sept. 27, 2024, while it evaluated the site. "The lease agreement requires legislative approval under 31 V.I. Code §205," Richards said. He told senators the proposed lease term is 20 years with two optional five‑year renewals, and that the agreement would require a minimum of $1,000,000 in general liability coverage.

Richards described the rent schedule that was…