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June 18, 2025 Good evening Honorable Senator Novelle Francis, members of the Finance Committee, other Senators of the 36" Legislature present, all other people present and to those of you viewing and listening. I am Carmen Wesselhoft-Hedrington an independent Taxi driver here on St. John. Thank you for rescheduling this hearing so that it can be held on St. John since a hearing of this magnitude affects the lives of all taxi drivers on St. John. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on bill number 36-0092, a lease agreement A Lease Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands, acting through the Department of Property Procurement and St. John Taxi Services Corporation. To Lease Parcel No. D-2 Estate Cruz Bay Town Quarter, U.S. Virgin Islands, consisting of approximately 2700 U.S. sq. ft. or 0.062 U.S. acres of land zoned W- The property will be used to operate a taxi stand and other related services. I am here before you this evening not on my own behalf, but I am the voice of the fifty plus people whose signature is on the signed petition presented to you. This signed petition represents the signatures of all who vehemently opposed this body giving a lease to any entity for this public Taxi stand. The Cruz Bay taxi stand is a public taxi stand, which was made law by former Senator Cleone Creque Maynard back in 1980. Senator Maynard passed this bill so that no St. John taxi operator would be disenfranchised but we are all given an equal opportunity to operate fairly and equally without fear of bullying, personal vendettas, or personality conflicts. This public Taxi Stand should not be leased out period. In early years, the taxi stand was leased out to St. John Taxi Stand but history has shown that under a lease there has always been chaos. In 2013 under the DeJohn administration St. John Taxi Service was evicted from the Taxi Stand because of unruly and chaotic conduct. Governor DeJongh said he found it fit to put it under the port authority since they are the manager of the port/ferry dock. For two years it was under the management of the port, and it ran smoothly. Certain measures were put in place by the Port Authority before it was turned back to Property and procurement in 2015. From 2015 to 2024 St. John taxi drivers managed themselves with the measures that were put in place by the Port Authority, and it ran orderly. Therefore, we believe that we do not need any one entity with a lease. What is needed is proper management and for the Taxi Commission to do its part in acting on the complaints of unruly taxi drivers so that we can weed out the ones that are making it chaotic and putting taxi drivers in a bad light. Recently, the Department of Property and Procurement awarded St. John Taxi Services Corporation a one-year Temporary Revocable License Agreement for Parcel No. D-2 Estate Cruz Bay Town, known as the St. John Taxi Stand. In our observation, and what we are experiencing there is a lot of bias and unethical practices. While this agency does not get into the rules or bylaws of the Association or the day-to-day operation, the agency still has the oversight responsibility and should be aware of what is taking place on its property. St. John Taxi drivers are always at a disadvantage. Recently the Virgin Islands National Park has disenfranchised us where they initially charged $75.00 to operate in the park (to drive on the Almando Rocky Liburd Road). This year they increased the fee by 466% to $350.00. We do not know what it will be next year. Because initially, they wanted $750.00. Then they are asking for 3% of our gross income. This was delayed until we do not know when. The Cruz Bay Ferry Terminal is the Gateway to St. John. Unlike St. Thomas, this is the only port of entrance for Taxi operators to work from. St. Thomas you can work at the airport, Crown Bay Terminal, Blyden Terminal, Urman Fredericks Terminal (Red Hook), West Indies Company /Haven sight, Magens Bay, Coki Point, at a hotel and the list goes on. Nevertheless, the Cruz Bay Taxi stand, or the Virgin Islands National Park are the only two areas of operation for taxi drivers. We are unique and limited. St. John is too small and limited in choices to operate from to give one group a lease and a lease for twenty-years. Respectfully Submitted Taxi Ambassadors of St. John ST. JOHN INDEPENDENT TAXI AMBASSADORS PRINT NAME SIGN NAME PLATE # Chie a tn “Cand Ours - Llewéins Call vse pry 7. Dough Mettuas 8. Natesle Bacon 9. Lemo| kthaed_ _ 10. Educywd pberls uu. E-, f Per. vn Karle Rox er2 a) n 7 Keor EB. Sanh 16.E eh Tae oe Cry Ast eri 17, Hepet hose aon Ibo 18, Naren Clive bello. pylex. 19. $ A A - \115) = -— 20. h, SS ee | OLG Ss ST. JOHN INDEPENDENT TAXI AMBASSADORS PRINT NAME SIGN NAME PLATE # 2 Kameltor KuCkk Zé os TPH 035 , DORIS Fem nse FA Dp Ph EE 4. Charles Warnstf 5. Olof —-190 24 6 CAMA VY ARs St SPp~oll O Like Layne hte OWFS . 2 Lift Led Aih GPA (Co Shan fie» HU TP- 0049 LT ely LD JP-OULO OC ype PIGE<” SH aH? oa FT AP OS77 —>t 8 . \> en C thorns sr NB. 19. adic Valack fr Vadtack OlS5 20. Joe Sh.Peix fettes 000 | . PRINT NAME SIGN NAME PLATE # » lewgttn Callwoo Zea (aldol —_ du 4 Athurd dots dibua 2. Ol 24. Bevin. Willians Ce TP. OOT3 3. MCC: td Lb. c4 407 26 Pyrdvelt Drouin le. 00 0 27 nt ks Aoi? J? O12) 28. an {ye Jb- Wes » [Alin deck $ on WA bee SF OG 30. JE pV aD STEPHEY OY, Splat sm O/z2Z 31. Wr [haw fetlucoy) 0 Tax1-208F 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.