Feb. 20, 2003 – District Judge Thomas K. Moore has chastised V.I. government officials for failing to follow his orders to fix the territory's 'system of assessing property taxes and accused the government of trying to usurp his ban on issuing any more property tax bills until an ongoing legal challenge is resolved.
Moore made his displeasure known Wednesday during the final hearing on the consolidated case of 11 V.I. property owners who are suing the government over what they say are grossly inflated tax bills based on replacement value, not market value.
According to a Virgin Islands Daily News report, Moore was particularly incensed over a bill submitted by the governor and passed by the Legislature at a special session last week calling for the Tax Assessor's Office to send out 2001 property tax bills calculated on the basis of 1999 assessments. The case currently in District Court is challenging the assessments made for 2000.
Moore was furious "that the government is interfering with his order," David Bornn, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, said.
Published accounts said that the judge stormed off the bench and declared the hearing adjourned when V.I. Justice Department lead attorney Kerrie Drue rose to offer an explanation as to why the governor sought the Senate action.
Moore said the government was "wasting the court's time," Bornn said, and that "the governor was wasting the time of the Legislature and engaging in a charade."
And he told the V.I. government's legal team that their time would have been better spent trying to revise the tax system.
Attempts to reach Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Government House spokesman James O'Bryan Jr. for comment were unsuccessful Thursday. Stridiron was quoted in the Daily News as saying that it is not unusual for judges to get angry at lawyers. "We take the position that we believe is in the best interest of the territory," he was quoted as saying.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has yet to sign the property tax proposal. No government officials were available to comment on the prospects of his doing so. He could also veto the measure or allow it to become law without his signature.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
