ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) – The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands has vetoed a bill that would have made it easier to track spending by the Caribbean territory’s government.

The bill would require officials to create publicly searchable online databases detailing grants, contracts and other government expenditures. It would have included spending on salaries, travel and office supplies down to $100.

The legislation passed 14-0 in the Senate in August. It was introduced by Sen. Nellie O’Reilly, who argued it would allow taxpayers to track spending and give the government more legitimacy.

A statement released Wednesday by Gov. John de Jongh says that he endorses the bill’s objectives, but that he has vetoed it because there wasn’t any funding designated and it didn’t apply to all branches of government.

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