MORGANTOWN — If you walked into the Morgantown Area Partnership’s legislative get-together at just the right time Thursday morning, you might swear you’d been transported back to 2019.
Heading into the legislative session that year discontent over road conditions in Monongalia County and all of West Virginia Division of Highways District 4 reached a boiling point, spurring the formation of North-Central West Virginia Road Caucus.
Based on data uncovered by Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, the caucus showed evidence that District 4 was being shortchanged by as much as $7 million annually based on the DOH’s own maintenance allocation formula guidelines.
A bill requiring the DOH to follow the formula was presented, passed and then promptly vetoed by Gov. Jim Justice.
Bringing us to Thursday.
“We’re the economic engine,” Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom said. “We don’t mind sending the funds. I think everyone here doesn’t mind sending the funds back down to Charleston as long as we get our fair share back. Why are we not getting our fair share?”
Bloom urged state representatives to once again come together to push the formula bill.
“The DOH very much hates that piece of legislation. They will do everything they can to stop that piece of legislation, and they will start early,” Delegate Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, said before pointing out one notable difference from 2019. “The one thing I can guarantee is if we can get it through fast enough, a veto is not going to do any good. We simply have the veto overriding power.”
Taxes, in particular Business and Occupation (B&O) taxes, were another major talking point from Thursday’s session.
Granville Mayor Patty Lewis said word from the West Virginia Municipal League is that another push may be forthcoming to eliminate the B&O tax.
“Our B&O tax is 43% of our budget. Our public safety services to the town and the [University] Town Centre is 65% of our budget,” Lewis said, adding “If there is discussion about B&O tax elimination; I know some of the legislators think it’s antiquated, and maybe it is, but in that discussion there has to be an immediate revenue stream to help towns and cities to fill that gap. They can’t just eliminate it and leave us hanging until they figure out the second part.”
Lewis’ comments echoed those offered by representatives of Morgantown, who fear municipal revenue streams like user fees or sales taxes could also be targeted.
“The attitude, it seems to us, down at the Legislature is that they don’t have an appreciation for the municipalities and what they need to do or the services they provide or the way they fund the services,” Morgantown City Councilor Bill Kawecki said, adding “If you want to be adjusting and playing with our budget, then you need to find a way to take on our responsibilities.”
Delegate John Williams, D-Monongalia, said protecting municipal budgets is among his priorities.
Williams said he believes the issue is far less about Republican versus Democrat than it is rural versus urban.
“In such a rural state it’s unfathomable to have some of the problems we have. People aren’t familiar with it. They don’t have similar problems,” Williams said.
