§1597 Reorganization of government

Summary

The Governor must, within one year after July 22, 1954, combine the many executive departments, bureaus, boards, agencies, authorities, commissions, and other government units into no more than nine executive departments. Independent bodies that federal law requires for participation in federal programs stay separate. Each department head (except for the law department) is called a commissioner, and the finance commissioner must be bonded. The head of the law department is the attorney general. School board members set up by the Virgin Islands government must be elected by the people. After that reorganization, the Governor must from time to time review the executive branch and, with the legislature’s approval and in line with this chapter, make changes needed for good management. Department heads are appointed by the Governor with the legislature’s approval. They serve while the Governor who appointed them is in office and until a successor is ready, unless the Governor removes them sooner. The legislature decides their powers and duties. If local law provides, chairs and members of boards, authorities, or commissions that have quasi-judicial jobs are also appointed by the Governor with the legislature’s approval, and any law requiring those appointments may not cover more than one such body or other legislative topics.