V.I. taxpayer money is being wasted on salaries and nonessential administrative positions, the incoming governor's transition team has found.
The preliminary transition report, which went to Gov.-elect Charles W. Turnbull on Wednesday, seems to have a recurring theme of high-level jobs that do not serve priority functions.
Juel Molloy, co-chair of the transition team, said the team will strongly recommend consolidation and elimination of many top-level positions, according to Thursday's Independent.
She cited education as one area where consolidation or elimination of administrative positions could result in more money being funneled into supplies, equipment and classrooms.
The team also recommended consolidation of government departments.
The Finance Department and Office of Management and Budget could be joined as a single Treasury Department, Molloy said. Agencies dealing with housing also could be consolidated.
Another area ripe for streamlining: boards and commissions. Molloy said the territory has 102 boards and commissions — far too many.
Excessive overtime is ripe for savings too. Molloy said her team found overtime payments of $50,000 – $70,000 — including one Public Works employee whose $23,000 salary swelled to $102,000 with overtime pay.
While the territory does need to revitalize the economy, government officials also need to control spending, she said.
"We cannot have employees who have nothing to do when we cannot pay vendors for gasoline or much-needed medication," she told the Independent.