May 12, 2006 – After lingering in the Legislature for months, a controversial bill giving the Tourism Department the authority to regulate Carnival was unanimously approved Thursday by the Rules and Judiciary Committee and sent onto the full Senate for a final vote.
The bill, which was first seen on the Senate floor in 2004, has caused "a lot of rancor" in the community, according to senators, and has been a constant bone of contention for both Carnival Committee members and Tourism officials.
However, Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, the bill's sponsor, said Thursday that he looks at the bill as an "accountability tool" that gives Carnival back to the "people of the Virgin Islands."
While Carnival Committee officials were heard on the radio Thursday morning saying that the bill is an "attack" against the organization, Donastorg said during the meeting that the bill is not meant to be retaliatory. Instead, he added, the measure gives other individuals the opportunity to run Carnival and establishes financial safeguards which allow the government to check where Carnival funds are going once they're appropriated.
"If you check the Carnival Committee right now, you'll see that all their records are not in place," Donastorg said. "And I'm willing to bet that when the inspector general decides to audit them, he'll find that their receipts are not consistent."
To carry out its financial accountability objective, the bill establishes an Office of Carnival Promotions under Tourism which would be run by a director appointed by the Tourism commissioner.
According to the bill, the director would be chosen based on his familiarity "with Carnival events on each island" and would be paid up to $58,000 annually.
The bill further states that the new office can choose to run Carnival on its own or may contract with another entity capable of organizing the event. However, if another entity is selected, that organization must submit a certified financial audit to the director within 90 days of the conclusion of Carnival festivities.
While an audit is currently being conducted on the Carnival Committee, V.I. Inspector General Steven van Beverhoudt explained on the radio Thursday morning that his office is still working to reconcile the committee's financial statements. He did not say when the audit would be finished.
Caswill Callender, executive director of the Carnival Committee, was also heard on the radio Thursday saying, "There is no other group that can ever run Carnival but the V.I. Carnival Committee."
If approved, the bill would go into effect 60 days after it is signed into law.
Present on Thursday were Sens. Roosevelt C. David, Pedro "Pete" Encarnacion, Juan Figueroa-Serville, and Ronald E. Russell, along with non-committee members Sens. Neville James and Usie R. Richards.
Sens. Lorraine L. Berry, Louis P. Hill, and Terrence "Positive" Nelson were absent.
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