KINGWOOD — Preston County government stands to collect an estimated $60,000-plus annually from a new fee approved Tuesday.
Commissioners Dave Price and Don Smith voted 2-0 Tuesday to implement the increase in recording fees at the county clerk’s office. Commissioner Samantha Stone did not attend the meeting.
The one-time fee will be an additional $1.10 per $1,000 of property value. The current fee is $6.60 per $1,000, which is split evenly among the county, state and Preston County Farmland Protection Agency. The new fee will go solely to the county.
Recording fees are collected when deeds “with consideration” or a sale price are recorded in the county clerk’s office. Some deeds, such as those between parent and child, are exempt from consideration.
“Most people only do this once or twice in a lifetime,” Price said of the recording of property.
The increase will go into effect March 1. Smith said the tax would have collected about $62,000 to $63,000 in recent years. Many other counties already charge the fee.
That’s nearly two-thirds of the payment on the new voting machines, he noted. The county is paying $91,566.92 per year for four years for the new machines. Most of the cost — $356,226.68 — was covered by a grant.
In other money matters at the meeting:
Commissioners voted 2-0 to keep $294,446.76 left to the county animal shelter by the late Dolores Ryan invested with WesBanco. The money can be taken out as needed, and Smith mentioned that the shelter will need a roof soon.
Smith said he thought Ryan’s intent was for the money to be used long-term for the shelter, not spent all at once on a single item.
Ryan, a retired teacher with no children or spouse, left her entire estate to the shelter. That includes her home and property in Kingwood. WesBanco, which was the trustee for the Dolores Y. Ryan Trust, tried to sell the house and land to convert them to cash, but no one met the reserve price of $47,000.
County Administrator Kathy Mace said the county may have the house at 103 Oak St., which is in poor shape, torn down and sell the land. If it is sold, that money will go back into the estate bequest.
Shirley Hartley requested a donation on behalf of the Rowlesburg Revitalization Committee. Commissioners made no decision.
Hartley noted the group does a lot of advertising to bring tourists to Preston County. Though, she joked, it may have to do a brochure soon advertising a new attraction: the one-lane section of W.Va. 72 outside Rowlesburg.
The group works with the Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau, which serves as the convention and visitors bureau for Preston and Mon Counties. Smith, who is on the CVB board of directors, said representatives are needed on the board from the Bruceton Mills area.
