How It All Began in St. Croix, USVI

The Bottom Up Government (BUG) movement was born out of a shared frustration and a deep love for St. Croix and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It began as a genuine grassroots vision generated by everyday Crucians who gathered to brainstorm practical solutions to the Territory's two most glaring, unresolved issues: the failing power grid and the lack of basic local infrastructure—or as the founders put it, the need to "FIX WAPA!!!!!" and "FIX DE DAM POTHOLES!!!"

Spearheaded by the Christiansted Revitalization Planning Task Force, the community realized that waiting on top-down infrastructure, government grants, or expensive off-island consultants was no longer an option.

Instead, they launched the Civic Leadership Advocacy Initiative and drafted the "COMMON SENSE" pamphlet, laying out a clear, citizen-led roadmap for member-owned energy cooperatives and the establishment of local municipal governments. What started as local brainstorming on St. Croix can now grow into a powerful parallel campaign for the 2026 General Election. More importantly, for the future of community change, driven by the belief that true progress and equitable quality-of-life decisions must be built from the bottom up.

USVI BUG Initiative

Our Vision

BUG is a grassroots initiative born out of a simple, undeniable truth: the most effective government is one that starts in our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

We believe that the people living in a community are the most qualified to identify its challenges and propose its solutions.

Our Mission

Our mission is to engage, educate, and empower local people to identify the issues that matter most in their backyards and bring those priorities directly to the candidates asking for their votes.

We don’t wait for politicians to set the agenda; we set it for them. By uniting everyday people, we are ensuring that whoever takes office is fully aware of—and accountable to—the genuine needs of the people.

Our Campaign Election Goals... So Far

Our movement focuses on two vital, grassroots-generated initiatives designed to fundamentally transform the United States Virgin Islands:

1. WAPA Reform (Territorial Energy Authority & RECs)Electricity rates in the USVI (35–50¢ per kWh) are among the highest in the U.S., serving as the master constraint on our economic development. B.U.G. advocates for restructuring WAPA by separating generation from distribution. We propose establishing a Territorial Energy Authority (TEA) and transitioning distribution to member-owned Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs). This will drastically lower rates, harness our world-class solar potential, and unlock submarine fiber-optic broadband for every home.

2. Establishment of Local Governments in the USVIWe advocate for the passage of a Municipal Corporations Act to establish functioning local municipal governments in the USVI. This ensures that community decisions—like fixing "de dam potholes"—are handled locally, efficiently, and responsibly by the citizens who live there.

How It All Began in St. Croix, USVI

USVI BUG Initiative

Our Vision

Our Mission

Our Campaign Election Goals... So Far

Think Nationally. Organize Locally. Find Your BUG Chapter.

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