BRIDGEPORT, W. Va. — On Monday, 16 municipalities in West Virginia will find out they have been accepted into the state’s home rule pilot program.
The Home Rule Municipal Board will make the announcement after holding five regional meetings, which spanned from July to September, where the 22 cities made presentations showcasing what they would do with the powers shifted from the state to the local level.
Ideas presented ranged from implementing a sales tax in order to eliminate B&O taxes to having the ability to hiring part-time law enforcement to boost staff.
The board has had nearly a month since the final presentations were heard on September 8 in Martinsburg to evaluate every pitch on a five point scale. The criteria to determine the successful cities was not only based on how the presented measures would help the city itself but how they would benefit the area around them as well.
The hopeful cities are Berkeley Springs, Bluefield, Buckhannon, Charles Town, Clarksburg, Dunbar, Fairmont, Lewisburg, Martinsburg, Milton, Morgantown, Moundsville, Nitro, Oak Hill, Parkersburg, Princeton, Ranson, Shinnston, South Charleston, Spencer, Vienna and Weirton. St. Albans intended to apply but was disqualified after failing to meet the criteria for home rule status by the June 2 deadline.
In home rule program began in 2007 when the state legislature approved a four city pilot group. Bridgeport, Charleston, Huntington and Wheeling were the municipalities selected. The success of those cites lead to the state legislature to approve expanding the program to 16 more cities in 2013.
Monday’s announcement will be made at 9 a.m. in the Bridgeport Conference Center.