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TESTIMONY FOR THE 36TH LEGISLATURE COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS, AND FINANCE THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025 DARYL GRIFFITH INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER VIRGIN ISLANDS WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY 2 Good day, Honorable Senator Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Chairman, and other Committee 1 members of the 36th Legislature’s Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, 2 and members of the viewing and listening audience. I am Daryl Griffith, the Interim 3 Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Virgin Islands Waste 4 Management Authority. 5 6 The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) supports Bill No. 36- 7 0039, that proposes to increase the cost for individuals, firms, corporations and 8 associations to bring containers or flat rack containers to the Virgin Islands and 9 depositing 50% of the funds into the Anti-Litter and Beautification Fund of which 10 twenty-five percent must be used for garbage collection, solid waste trash removal and 11 territory wide beautification and twenty five percent to fund a territorial Anti-Litter 12 Beautification Summer Program within the Virgin Islands Waste Management 13 Authority. 14 15 The VIWMA annual budget has been underfunded for its entire existence. This has 16 led the Authority to accumulate an Accounts Payable of over $20 million, which 17 translates to hundreds of local vendors being owed thousands of dollars. Over the three 18 years I have been with the Authority, serving as CFO and currently Interim Executive 19 Director, the staff and I have worked to reduce the annual budget shortfall. In 2023, 20 the annual budget shortfall was $15 million, and now it is $5 million. If the proposed 21 legislation is enacted, along with the garbage collection fees that VIWMA is presenting 22 to the PSC in 2026, the Authority will have a budget that is better than break-even. It 23 will be able to start repaying the $20 plus million owed to vendors. This will enable 24 the Authority to fully implement plans to thoroughly clean up the Virgin Islands, with 25 the assistance of its citizens. 26 3 In St. Croix, in the next 12-24 months, the island will have no bin sites and only 27 convenience centers. An example of a Convenience Center is the location in Peter’s 28 Rest, and the bin sites are in Mon Bijou, Concordia, and Cotton Valley. These bin 29 sites will be replaced with new, modern trash collection convenience center facilities 30 that will be clean. 31 32 In St. Thomas, the Authority plans to increase house-to-house garbage collection using 33 smaller garbage trucks. This initiative will be implemented gradually, starting with 34 one community at a time. Once it is fully enacted, the bin sites serving these 35 communities will be removed. St. Thomas is too beautiful to have garbage bins at 36 every corner, and the residents deserve house-to-house garbage collection. I am 37 delighted to hear that 25% of these funds will be allocated to fund a territorial Anti- 38 Litter Beautification Summer Program for kids. 39 40 In 1993 and 1994, I participated in the Anti-Litter Beautification Summer Program, 41 which fostered my love for the environment and a commitment to keeping the 42 community clean. I remember visiting numerous sites, such as Elena Christian and 43 local roads and beaches, to help clean up the community. I love this program, and it 44 would be an honor to restart it with the staff of the Authority. I would like to take this 45 time to thank both the Solid Waste and Wastewater teams at the Waste Management 46 Authority. We have seen significant improvements in garbage collection and 47 wastewater management. To all the hard-working men and women of the Virgin 48 Islands Waste Management Authority, thank you for your hard work. 49 50 This concludes my testimony. The Authority appreciates the Senate’s efforts to provide 51 VIWMA with the necessary financial resources to serve the community adequately. I 52 4 stand ready to answer any questions that you may have. 53 Thank you. 54