Plaskett to declare WAPA emergency on day one; Sewer pushes transparency

Gov.-elect Stacey Plaskett will use one of her opening executive orders to declare a state of emergency for the Water and Power Authority when she takes office on Jan. 4, 2027, and intends to seek federal help addressing the utility's difficulties. She framed the Nov. 3 election outcome as backing for her and Lt. Gov.-elect Milton Potter's platform of accountability and results.

"We have a mandate to change government," Plaskett said during a transition briefing on Monday.

The election brought new voices into the 37th Legislature, including members of The Future, a coalition of younger candidates running on shared policy goals. Newly elected at-large senator Hadiya Sewer, a founding member of the group, won 10,213 votes, outpacing incumbent At-Large Sen. Angel Bolques Jr., who received 6,492 votes according to unofficial tallies including absentee ballots counted through Nov. 5.

Sewer told The Daily News that islanders are "pretty exhausted by the status quo," pointing to corruption, rolling blackouts, health system failures and school conditions as pressing concerns. The Future's platform centred on housing affordability, dependable and clean energy, youth prospects, farming and food independence.

As a senator-at-large, Sewer intends to pursue tighter management of WAPA and expanded aid for residents whose belongings are damaged or food spoils during outages. She also wants the Public Services Commission held more strictly responsible to those affected.

Sewer's legislative agenda spans education and youth opportunity, building local farming and food networks, expanding affordable housing and securing better political voice for St. John, which she described as often overlooked. She plans to keep an active office on each of the three islands.

Sewer is advocating for overhauls to public records and sunshine laws, noting that some have not been revised in decades and enforcement is weak. She is calling for broad changes to the Public Information Act, citing the Office of the Inspector General and Department of Justice as understaffed and lacking resources.

"It's one thing to have laws on the books; it's another thing to have the capacity to increase enforcement," she said.

Sewer also wants greater clarity around government spending, saying much of the budget uses vague categories like miscellaneous. She is pushing for clearer contract disclosure, conflict-of-interest reporting and expanded media access, along with public dashboards tracking government activity.

Plaskett said her team will hold regular meetings with incoming lawmakers rather than reaching out only when backing specific bills. Lt. Gov.-elect Milton Potter will chair a working group focused on restructuring government. The territory has not undergone comprehensive reorganization since former Gov. Alexander Farrelly's administration, Plaskett noted.

The incoming administration has also flagged health care, hospitals, education and reconstruction as key areas. Transition Director Erwin Raphael said planners are drafting a first 100-day roadmap with specific steps and assigned responsibility.