In order for the territory to remove itself from a federal mandate that requires it to seek an approval every time it draws down recovery funds, the V.I. government must first rectify a bevy of payment errors made by local agencies shortly after hurricanes Irma and Maria. If left unfixed, the errors could cost the territory millions. The errors were discovered by a federal audit that examined the territoryâs recovery project payments in fiscal year 2018. When released in October 2019, the findings showed a sweeping lack of supporting documentation for various transactions. Collectively, this accumulated to roughly $519 million in âpotential debtâ owed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.