US Virgin Islands News

Property tax update

So far, we know (or have been told) the Virgin Islands will send the property tax bill for 2007 next month.  Then the bill for 2008 will be sent in May or June.  The valuation will be unchanged from the 1998 figure, much lower than the Bearing Point revaluation of a few years ago which saw St. John values had tripled or more.

But here's the great unknown.  According to the Assessor, as reported by the St. John Source, "Properties in the territory will be reassessed, and future bills will be based on those real property values."

In other words, there will be another re-assessment; the multi-year Bearing Point study will be forgotten.  What's the likelihood the VIs can get a complete revaluation done in time to send out bills at new values in 12 months?  Those with experience on the island say, 'Fat chance."  Which leads to an expectation that the 2009 and 2010 bills may not go out next February.

Rafting Caneel Bay Resort

A long time ago, in a land far away, Mrs. Inquiring Iguana and II stayed at Caneel Bay Resort.

The main beach was heaven.  The sand ws white, the sun caressed the beach late into the afternoon, and my favorite place on earth soon became the raft out in the water. Nothin' like swimming out there, after a lunch of Bloody Marys, and falling asleep on its gritty surface.  The fact an occasional turtle would pop its head above the water as you paddle out was just a bonus.

In the middle of last week, Mrs. II and II went to Caneel, had lunch (now the home of the $47 hamburger), and set up shop on the beach.

"What's different," I inquired of her.  "Dunno," she said. 

"I do.  There's No raft."

Here's proof.


Then, with some friends visiting from Maine, we went to Caneel for lunch and then some beach time. 

Guess what, sports fans?  The raft is back!!! Looks like it got some fresh paint, and it's on the job.  Hoo-ray!

Hotel tax hike not a done 'ting'

At least two Virgin Islands senators are less than sure votes for the Governor's proposal to raise the hotel tax (paid by condo, villa and time share renters) from eight to 10 percent.

The Virgin Islands Daily News quotes Sen. Louis Hill saying he would prefer not to rise taxes.  He would like the Territory to attract new businesses which would pay taxes on their revenues.  "I'm not sure raising taxes ... tough economic time is actually the most prudent approach."

In the same story, Sen. Alicia Hansen, who credits herself with creating the hotel occupancy tax and timeshare legislation, said she will make up her mind about the tax hike after "she gets input from the local tourism industry."

• Read the full Daily News story here:

St. John: Island thoughts for Friday

Cash or checks only, please, on the car barge.

Banana Deck - a nice casual restaurant.  But nobody calls it one of the best. Also real frustrating when it comes to 'Check, please,' for 16 people.  They refused to do separate tabs. Too much math.

Looking forward to La Plancha del Mar with friends Saturday night.

Island was rockin' Wednesday.  Thursday afternoon, Cruz Bay seemed real, real quiet.

The National Park old the annual Friends meeting it is looking for a new concessionaire to handle food and services at Cinnamon and Trunk Bays.  The Park wants improvements at Cinnamon and some upgrades to food and the souvenier shop at Trunk.

Blues Cruise - music, fun, St. John

At Skinny's, he likes to watch.

 


A fantastic New Orleans group at Skinny's, Chris Klein and the Boulevards.



At Shipwreck, St. John's own Chris Carsell (second from the left) joined the Mitch Wood and his Rocket 88s.



Chicago Blues great was part of several groups that played in Franklin Powell Park in Cruz Bay.

No blues about these Blues

A beautiful day for the Blues Cruise's visit to St. John.  Hundreds greeting the musicians in Cruz Bay Park, hundreds more in Coral Bay.  More pictures tomorrow.

This just in! Blues Cruise arrives in Cruz Bay

Just after 8:15 this morning, Holland America's Blues Cruise ship sailed past Enighed Pond, kicking off a day of music across the island.
 
As many as 1,800 passengers are aboard the ship which features more than a dozen Blues artists, some of whom will be performing here.  (BluesCruise.com) 

Bob Margolin, Zac Harmon, and Island Performers will be making music in the park by the ferry dock while Chris Klein & The Boulevards, Van Gills Band, Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88s will be in Coral Bay at Skinny's, Island Blues, and Shipwreck Landing.

Cruise passengers will be welcomed ashore with steel pan music, mocko jumbies, and Carnival dancers while Department of Tourism greeters distribute island information and Cruzan Rum samples.

Vendors selling locally made products from baskets to hot sauces, jewelry and fruit juices will set up shop in the Franklin Powell Park to display their wares, give demonstrations and promote sales throughout the day. Between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., a cultural show featuring Cool Session Brass, two Carnival troupes, Quadrille and Salsa dancers and a limbo show will entertain all along the waterfront adjacent to the Franklin Powell Park.

The music contiues in Cruz Bay at 2:00 and 5:30 p.m. with two Blues band performances.

Calm down! Hotel tax rate hike is only from 8% to 10%

The Governor is proposing to increase the hotel tax 25 percent, the first increase since 1993.

The current rate is 8 percent. It is levied on all villa, condo, and hotel accomodations and generally passed along directly to visitors. The new rate would be 10 percent and extended to also include timeshare rentals.

All funds will be applied to the territory’s Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund which is used by the Department of Tourism to implement marketing and advertising campaigns to attract visitors.

“It is essential that we take the necessary steps to level the playing field for attracting visitors to our islands,” said Commissioner Nicholson-Doty.  “By leaving our room tax rate unchanged over the last 17 years, we have placed ourselves at a competitive disadvantage for marketing the destination while other destinations have adjusted to meet market conditions and have outspent the U.S. Virgin Islands."

By comparison, some nightly room tax rates in other destinations are markedly higher. Puerto Rico's is 24%, the Dominican Republic is 15%, and the Bahamas is 10%.

NOT on St. John for $500 a day

Yes, it really adds up when you make a day-trip to St. Thomas.

For starters, the roundtrip car barge fare is $45.

No, you don't visit Coral World or even the newly-reopened Mountain Top.  No window shopping along Front street in Charliotte Amalie, trying to figure out which deals are real.

No, you go to the mundane places when you own a villa. You stock up on food, light bulbs, matress covers, hamburger, broasted chicken, beer - all those things which sustain life and keep the villa looking great and comfortable for guests.

Some surprises when you look at the receipt. The big bottle of Coke we pay 99-cents for in Virginia; $1.79 here.  But Tomatoes on the vine, $2.99 a pound, same as at the Safeway in Va.  Safeway wants $5.99 for 1/2 pint of blueberries, CostuLess sold us a pint for $4.69.  Triscuits 1 dime cheaper than Safeway, $3.69.  Starkist Tuna, $6.49 for two cans, but in the states, Safeway asks $6.99.  Then  of course there's the beer and the wine.

We spent about $200 at CostuLess, perhaps buying a little heavier than usual since we'll have some friends from Maine joining us at the end of the week.  I told Mrs. Inquiring Iguana I was surprised some of the prices were cheaper than stateside.  To which, she uttered, "Well, I'm a good shopper!"

We also roamed the isles at Kmart, looking for household furnishings things like a Welcome mat, light bulbs, a lampshade, some mattress covers and so on.  That was another $200.

And that's how you do the island on $500 a day.

• CostULess says it has online shopping at the St. Thomas store here.

St. John villa owners: property taxes update

The first thing the Inquiring Iguana saw when he landed home Saturday at Blue Tang, a page three story in the Virgin Islands Daily News that the federal court has finally given the government the green light to resume collecting property taxes.

The Court had prohibited the government from collecting taxes for the past five years.  It also refused to accept property values of a territory-wide reassessment in 2009 in part because of challenges by property owners that the tax system was unfair and unconstitutional.

Well, now the Court now says the VI tax appeal process is much improved and therefore the government can resume collecting taxes.

Villa owners, who have not had to pay any taxes for several years, were issued bills for 2006 last year, at valuations from 1998.  Acordiong to the Virgin Islands Daily News report of the court tax story, property owners can expect a bill for 2007 to be issued next month.  The bill for 2008 will come this summer.  Both will be based on the old assessment of 1998.

Bills for 2009 and 2010 will be issued next year; 2009's will be at the 1998 valuation while the 2010 bills will be based on the the last reassessment and valuations which upset many property owners, especially St. Johnians.

Read the full Daily News story here

The St. John Source also has a story, but says "There is presently no timetable in place for the issuance of the 2009 or 2010 bills."  Read it here.