Bryan Braces for Legal Fight Over Salary Hikes, Says USVI Governor Role Among Nation’s Toughest

The issue became a central component of public discourse when residents became belatedly aware of recommendations from a compensation commission, months after its report was issued.

A press release from Government House at the beginning of the year alerted the public that the increases would go into effect after the window for legislative action to halt the pay boost had already passed. According to Governor Bryan, the belated notice came only after deafening silence from legislators on the issue. “When I didn't see anything was happening, nobody was making it, and we were about to put these salaries into play, I went and said ‘Hey listen, this thing passed,’” he told Consortium publisher Ernice Gilbert. Gilbert pressed Governor Bryan on how the salary increases were implemented, arguing that both the executive and legislative branches failed to inform the public within the required 90-day window, which would allow for public review. He contended that the secretive nature of the process undermined transparency and fueled public distrust. In response, Mr. Bryan defended the process, stating that the community would have disapproved of the raises regardless, and added that there is never a right time to make such a decision.

Governor Bryan made several arguments as to why his office deserved the pay increase. “The delegate to Congress makes more than the governor. Port Authority makes more than the governor. Waste Management makes more than the governor. The two hospitals and WAPA make almost three times as much as the governor,” he said. In 2024, Governor Bryan said when he scrutinized payroll for central government, "of all the money that people make, the governor wasn't in the top 10…it was 144th highest paid in the territory. So when you talk about giving a raise to a position that hasn't been in there for 20 years, I thought it was a very moderate raise.” When Gilbert highlighted that the governor of Puerto Rico earns $70,000, Governor Bryan called the amount “shameful” and continued to defend the salary increases.