CHARLOTTE AMALIE — During the weekly Government House briefing today, Lt. Governor Tregenza Roach gave an update to residents regarding issues of transitioning to a new system for processing property tax payments and the issuing of tax bills by the Office of the lieutenant governor.
The distribution of the 2022 property tax bills has begun, and tax bills are being generated by a new billing and collections system that was recently implemented during the month of May, Lt. Governor Roach said.
“This new system will result in the overall improvement of the collection system and increased revenues to our government,” he said. “We are asking taxpayers to bear with us as we work through the kinks and rectify their issues one by one.”
The Lt. Governor also identified some of the issues his office currently is resolving or already has resolved, including:
- Some properties have been reassessed based on improvements to the property over the period 2018-2022, verified through OLG field inspections, and on sales data reflecting the value of property sales in their area. Any reassessment would result in an increase in the assessed value of a property. The new system is capturing this assessment data that may not have been factored into a prior year billing.
- In some instances, government agencies may have never received a property tax bill before but are also seeing tax bills that show amounts owed to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. This is attributed to the fact that while these government properties do not pay property taxes, they are still responsible for sewer fees. Some entities may not have received bills for sewer fees in the past, which now result in past due sewer fee amounts for previous years on the issued tax bills.
- Condo owners may have been taxed at the incorrect millage rate, resulting in increases of double or more over the prior year. The Real Property Tax Division has made those corrections in the internal operating system and those affected property owners will be sent a supplemental tax bill that accurately reflects taxes due.
- During the final two weeks of the amnesty period, the Real Property Tax Division’s online portal was being converted to the new billing and collection system. Bills issued may not reflect payments made during the amnesty period. The system is being updated to reflect those payments. Property owners who took advantage of the property tax amnesty and made payments during the designated amnesty period will receive supplemental bills showing only amounts currently due.
- Property owners who previously qualified for and received Homestead Tax credits, may have received tax bills wherein the credit is not shown or applied to the bill amount. This error has also been corrected in the internal system by the Real Property Tax Division and supplemental bills will be issued indicating the applied credit amount.
Any property owners who believe that they may have an issue with their tax bill or may have received a tax bill with an incorrect amount in error, can contact the Office of the Tax Assessor via email at [email protected] or by calling:
St. Thomas at 340-774-2991, option 2 or option 5.
St. John at 340-774-2991, option 6.
St. Croix (Christiansted) at 340-773-6449, option 5 or option 8.
St. Croix (Frederiksted) at 340-773-6449, option 6.
Property owners who have not received their 2022 tax bill are asked to contact the Office of the Tax Assessor to verify their mailing address. It is important to note that the 4-digit postal code following the zip code for addresses is needed when providing the address to the Office.
“The newly converted billing and collection system is now capturing and utilizing data in accordance with industry standards. The system will include new features that will enhance the ability to perform searches, get comparable sales data, make payments, and perform other related property services,” Lt. Governor Roach said. “The Citizen Access Portal is available by visiting: propertytax.vi.gov. The Division looks forward to continuing to serve the Virgin Islands public as it onboards the new system for the benefit of property owners.”
International Travel
The Lt. Governor also reminded residents and visitors that the federal government last week lifted COVID-19 restrictions on international travel arrivals into the United States, including the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“As of this past Sunday, according to guidance issued by the CDC and the White House, all air passengers, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, are no longer required to show a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding a flight to the United States,” Lt. Governor Roach said.
Juneteenth
Lt. Governor Roach also reminded government employees that Juneteenth – which became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law –
Falls on Sunday, June 19, and will be observed in the Territory on Monday, June 20.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has issued a proclamation designating June 20, 2022, as a day of observance in the Territory for the Juneteenth holiday on June 19. On that day, all non-essential government employees have been granted administrative leave and government offices will be closed.
Juneteenth is commemorated on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger that proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.
COVID-19 cases as of June 14
- 8.20% seven-day positivity rate
- Currently tracking 308 active cases (237 STX; 70 STT; 1 STJ)
- 432,699 tested
- 20,516 tested positive
- 412,183 tested negative
- 115 COVID-19-related fatalities
- There are 4 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, with none on a ventilator, at Luis Hospital on St. Croix.
- There are 5 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, with none on a ventilator, at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.
More COVID-19 information
Anyone who thinks they may have contracted COVID-19 can call the Epidemiology hotline at 340-712-6299 (STX) or 340-776-1519 (STT-STJ). For more information, visit covid19usvi.com.
For information about the COVID-19 vaccines or to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated, call the VITEMA hotline Mondays-Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 340-777-VACS (8227).
Pediatric boosters
Pediatric booster shots for children ages 5-11 are now available. Please bring an ID for the parent or guardian, as well as the child’s ID and a copy of the birth certificate.
Pediatric boosters are available:
St. Croix – At the CVC at the Charles Harwood Complex from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays.
St. Thomas – At the Maternal and Child Health Clinic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.
St. John – At the V.I. Port Authority gravel lot from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays.
Home testing
Positive test results from a home COVID-19 test should be confirmed, and confirmation is absolutely necessary if medical therapeutic treatment with an oral antiviral or monoclonal antibodies is to be prescribed.
Confirmation testing can be arranged by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 340-712-6299 on St. Croix or 340-776-1519 on St. Thomas. The hotline is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and testing appointments can be made online at http://www.Covid19USVI.com/testing.
Free Vaccinations
The Community Vaccination Center (CVC) at Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday-Friday and on Wednesdays on St. John at the V.I. Port Authority gravel lot.
Free vaccinations at the CVC at the Charles Harwood Complex on St. Croix are available by appointment, which can be made by calling 340-777-8227 or by going to http://www.covid19usvi.com/vaccines. Walk-ins also are available.