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Skelton-Cline’s contract was reduced from $16K to $9K per month- CoI hears

- PS in the Premier’s Office Dr Carolyn O’Neal-Morton said it was part of a cost cutting exercise
Because of the financial strain on the public’s purse, contracts, including the third contract between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline for the post of Strategic Adviser, were reduced where possible. Photo: VINO/File
Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Dr Carolyn O’Neal-Morton said the cost cutting measure was not unique to Claude Skelton-Cline's contract. Photo: GIS/File
Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Dr Carolyn O’Neal-Morton said the cost cutting measure was not unique to Claude Skelton-Cline's contract. Photo: GIS/File
WICKHAM'S CAY II, Tortola, VI- Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Dr Carolyn O’Neal-Morton said because of the financial strain on the public’s purse, contracts, including the third contract between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline for the post of Strategic Adviser, were reduced where possible.

This third contract for $9,000 a month between Skelton-Cline and the Government of the Virgin Islands was signed on November 26, 2020, and ended on September 17, 2021.

His second contract for 144,000 a year saw him collecting a $12,000 salary between September 18, 2019, to August 17, 2020.

The first contract that he secured months after the VIP administration took office was for $98,000 for a six month period, where he was paid $16,333 every month.

Cost-cutting exercise 

“The fee for consultancy was going to be $9,000 a month. Do you know why the consultant’s fee was reduced from $12,000 a month to $9,000?” Attorney for the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) Mr Bilal M. Rawat asked Permanent Secretary Dr O’Neal-Morton on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, during her evidence to the Commission.

Dr O'Neal-Morton said the reduced salary was a cost-cutting exercise because of the current financial climate.

“I know that was a decision that was made because it was a financial decision to reduce some of our payments because our income was not very good, so we wanted to reduce our expenditure. We did that in other areas as well; this is not unique to this contract, it was done in other contracts as well,” she said.

The VI, as well as the rest of the world’s finances, has been adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr O’Neal-Morton stated that while she could not recall if she or her staff in the Premier’s Office had any input into the contract details, she was aware that the contract was an extension of the previous one.

During his appearance before the CoI on Monday, Skelton-Cline confirmed that he was no longer in the government’s employ and he had given the government reasons why; however, he did not make the reasons public.

15 Responses to “Skelton-Cline’s contract was reduced from $16K to $9K per month- CoI hears”

  • The government (06/10/2021, 13:05) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    ....now wasting 25% less money!
  • uh (06/10/2021, 13:52) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    Sad to say this man is a geneal
  • Really??? (06/10/2021, 14:38) Like (24) Dislike (2) Reply
    Perhaps we could have a go-fund-me for CSC - how will he survive on that?
    • @Really??? (06/10/2021, 15:37) Like (13) Dislike (2) Reply
      You have given me a much needed laugh for the day. I would very much prefer to set up a GO FUND ME ACCOUNT FOR THE LOCAL ANIMAL
      SHELTER.
  • AND IS WE (06/10/2021, 15:26) Like (23) Dislike (0) Reply
    and is we the poor tax payers who working for under $1500.00 per month paying their rediculous salaries..
  • Challenger (06/10/2021, 15:49) Like (27) Dislike (1) Reply
    i remember the premiers words when he announced at a cruise ship meeting held at the H L Stoutt college when he was questioned about this first 6 month contract.
    his words were..." if he ( mr. CSC) doesnt produce..then his contract will be terminated"
    yet it was extended....twice...without any forward motion having been achieved. and please dont use covid as the obvious excuse....tell me what he did throughout 2020 to deserve to be paid all of this money wheb we are working class citizens were ignored and u able to feed our families. it is a discrace....you will have to answer to this Mr. Premier in the next 2 years
    • @Challenger (06/10/2021, 21:59) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      Oh yes, I remembered that quite well now that you mentioned it. The only one I am giving a chance to is Kye. He is doing what his portfolio entails and he is one of the nicer ones.
  • J no (06/10/2021, 16:16) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    People out there working hard when I say I mean very hard sometimes when you get home you can't even left a straw for penut change to pay this man God will judge all of your
  • Honestly (06/10/2021, 16:34) Like (16) Dislike (1) Reply
    When I saw those figures, I got a upset stomach. Absolutely atrocious. Where is the work to show anything? Maybe the slow floating elephant that is used to patrol our boarders?
  • Overblown contracts figures it seem. (06/10/2021, 17:50) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    I wonder if there were planed kickbacks involved?
    When it comes to money, in the British Virgin Islands anything is possible.
    Question to our current government cabinet leaders: Could you honestly justified the paying of such hefty salaries to CSC for marginal level work done. Honestly, I doubt that you can. This and more are the core reasons why the CoI is currently probing to help untsngle the web of corruption in the British Virgin Islands political arena.
  • vi (06/10/2021, 19:42) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    $9,000 for what, this is all pure crap
  • Madussa (06/10/2021, 21:31) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    I have no sympathy for this reduction in salary. I make $6 an hour for a 7 hour day equals for 5 days =$210 per week and $840 per month and $10,080 per year. I have 2 roommates doing the same. We work hard and pay our bills equally which doesn’t leave much. Our rent is $900 per month, so excuse me for not giving a rats behind for being unsympathetic to his $7000 a month drop.
  • Unbelievable (07/10/2021, 07:28) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    What convinced me this was all bogus was when CSC company said it could not do the financial modelling of the proposed initiatives for the fee being paid. Not even a high level model. The finance department apparently accepted this nonsense. It needs an overhaul from the top down.
  • bush (07/10/2021, 07:47) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    CSC should come work with my crew cutting bush, digging earth and moving rock stones from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 5 days a week. $100 a day, minus monthly tax.
    You wan' see work?
    The man getting 12 trillion dollars a minute for 'leadership' and what we get for it? A New York Pizza franchise.
  • Wait (07/10/2021, 13:59) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    WTF $16K a month drop to $12K a month then, $9K a month?? Some people don't even make $9K a YEAR after taxes, insurance, and social security. WHAT does he do, exactly? What? He is the only one that can do whatever that is?
    No other already employed civil servant could strategize for the salary they already earn? As an advisor, he only needed a stipend for each time he met and gave solid advice that panned out afterwards. Its totally insane.


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