BILL REGARDING FORECLOSURE OF LIENS UPON REAL PROPERTY ADVANCES; BILLS TO ESTABLISH THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BEAUTIFICATION TAX CREDIT AND VIWMA BEAUTIFICATION PURPOSES HELD IN COMMITTEE  - Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands Close About Us History Functions and Structure FY 2026 Budget Honor Roll Rules of the 36th Legislative Youth Advisory Council Application Careers Archives Legislative Archives Tours × St. Thomas Senators  St. John Senators  St.Croix Senators  Districts All Senators St. Croix St. Thomas - St. John Senator at Large × Committees Committee of the Whole Budget, Appropriation and Finance Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports, and Parks Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning Economic Development and Agriculture Education and Workforce Development Government Operations, Veteran Affairs and Consumer Protection Health, Hospitals and Human Services Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications Rules and Judiciary Session Folder × No event found! Calendars Bi-Weekly Senate Calendar Session Agenda × Dialog window Dialog window General Senators Committees Media Calendars Contact BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE | Press Releases | Senator Donna A. Frett-Gregory BILL REGARDING FORECLOSURE OF LIENS UPON REAL PROPERTY ADVANCES; BILLS TO ESTABLISH THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BEAUTIFICATION TAX CREDIT AND VIWMA BEAUTIFICATION PURPOSES HELD IN COMMITTEE  Published: Oct 30, 2023 Search for: ST. THOMAS - Members of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, chaired by Senator Donna A. Frett-Gregory, convened in a meeting at the Capitol Building. Lawmakers voted in the affirmative for a bill relating to the foreclosure of the Liens Upon Real Property. However, bills to establish the Virgin Islands Beautification Tax Credit, and the allocation of $2.5 million to the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority for beautification purposes were held in committee. All approved items will be forwarded to the Committee on Rules and Judiciary for further consideration. Lawmakers voted favorably for Bill No. 35-0099 -   An Act amending Title 28, chapter 23, of the Virgin Islands Code relating to the foreclosure of Liens Upon Real Property. The bill was   proposed by Senator Marise C. James. Senator Frett-Gregory expressed support of the measure while expressing the significance of educating the community on their rights and strategies when encountering certain challenges. To strengthen the bill, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor   St. Croix District Director Cleopatria Pierre recommended that an amendment needs to be added to the bill for clarification. Pierre stated that if a lien, mortgage, deed of trust, or other instrument creating a security interest expires, the lien holder or owner of the security interest must file a written notice in the Recorder of Deeds Office where it is recorded; if not, the property owner may provide notice. Senator James noted that she understands the process and is willingly to collaborate with stakeholders to solidify the measure. Senator Marvin Blyden stated that overall, the legislation paves pathways for homeownership and equity for Virgin Islanders. Separately, senators voted to hold in committee: Bill No. 35-0097 - An Act amending Title 33 Virgin Islands Code, subtitle 1, part 1, chapter 3 by adding section 43m to establish the “Virgin Islands Beautification Tax Credit.” The measure was proposed by Senator Novelle E. Francis, Jr. The Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue Director Joel Lee noted that gross receipts taxes are tied to the bond covenants, which doesn’t allow the reduction of collections without formal approval. Joel added that the bill can put GVI in a default status. Voicing concerns, the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Derek Gabriel indicated that DPW lacks the staff to establish an in-house program tasked with establishing rules and regulations, in addition to managing the set-up. Senator Frett-Gregory stated that the bill speaks to Virgin Islands pride along with private and public partnership. We must figure out how to make it work. Lastly, policymakers voted to hold in committee: Bill No. 35-0118 -   An Act amending Title 33 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 3, section 54(b)(3)(D)(iii) allocating $2,500,000 of the Timeshare Environmental/Infrastructure Impact Fee to the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) for beautification and cleanup of the Territory. The bill is sponsored by Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff. Supporting the measure, VIWMA Deputy Executive Director Luis Sylvester on mentioned backed that the expense of disposing of solid trash surpasses the amount of funding allocated for each fiscal year. The Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O'Neal, however, stated that OMB is unable to support the proposal because of the lack of a financing source. According to O'Neal, there will be negative effects on fiscal years 2023–2024 and beyond due to the reallocation of money. The following committee members senators attended the meeting: Donna A. Frett-Gregory, Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Marvin A. Blyden, Samuel Carriόn, Javan E. James, Sr., Ray Fonseca, and Dwayne M. DeGraff.                                                                                                                                             ### Find More Search for: Categories News Observances Press Releases Special Events Related Content COMMITTEE REVIEWS FY 2027 EXECUTIVE BUDGET REQUESTS FOR GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, AND BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES July 23, 2026 ST. 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