Patrick Morrisey and Steve Williams are working on setting terms for a debate in their race to be West Virginia’s next governor, but they’re in agreement about one thing: the question of additional personal income tax cuts should be left to the next administration.
The candidates have expressed somewhat different reasons for that position. Morrisey, a Republican, has said another tax cut should be accompanied by decisions about the right size of government, including spending cuts. Williams, a Democrat, says he favors tax cuts if the situation is right — but he has maintained West Virginia actually has significant and legitimate expenses ahead.
Morrisey and Williams have expressed their views in written statements distributed by their campaigns as well as in recent radio appearances.
West Virginia has already cut personal income taxes to a significant degree in recent months. The state instituted a 21.25% personal income tax cut this year in a package that included further automatic reductions under certain economic conditions.
West Virginia hit those economic conditions this year, triggering an additional 4% personal income tax cut to go into effect. More automatic tax cuts could go into effect in future years if the economic conditions are met.
Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican who is running for U.S. Senate, wants another 5% based on his administration’s assessment of state finances. That amounts to an estimated $110 million. Justice last week questioned the motives of anyone who would want to wait.
Williams, the mayor of Huntington, said today on “Watchdog Radio” in the Wheeling area that Justice wouldn’t be around to bear responsibility if the tax cut isn’t actually workable.
“You know, he’s going to go to Washington if he’s successful or if he’s not successful he’ll just go on back to Greenbrier County or stay in Greenbrier County and not provide the services. It’s no sweat off of his brow. But whoever is in that office and in the Governor’s Mansion is going to have the responsibility to provide that. It’s really easy to say we’re coming in and reducing taxes but then whoever else is coming in is going to have the responsibility to have to provide the services,” Williams said.
“It’s long-term foolish and short-term bankruptcy.”
Williams has emphasized his willingness to cut taxes if conditions allow, but he suggested that is not the case right now.
“I do support any way we can to be able to reduce taxes,” he said on “Watchdog Radio.”
“It makes sense to be able to ease that burden, but you don’t ease that burden by placing an additional burden on individuals, on our citizens throughout the state — not being able to pave roads, to build water systems, to be able to properly fund our educational system, to be sure that child services and our corrections systems are all able to be run efficiently and effectively. You can’t do that if you don’t have enough money to keep the lights on.”
Morrisey, the state’s attorney general, warned that the tax cut proposal requires balancing other factors, especially expenses. He said that calculation is best left to the next legislative session when there’s more time for consideration and when the winners of the coming election would be in office.
“I applaud Gov. Jim Justice for his advocacy for cutting state income taxes. I’ve always been a cheerleader for trying to cut the income tax as much as we can. So I do strongly support cutting taxes,” Morrisey said last week on “Talk of the Town” on WAJR Radio in the Morgantown area.
“But here’s what I think we have to do: If you’re going to cut taxes, which I support, you have to pay for them and you have to be thoughtful to make sure you come up with the requisite savings. We have to find the savings we need to pay for it, so I think it’s critical that you identify the ways that we’re going to rightsize government. I think the best time and the best way to do it is not right before an election. I think you do it when the next legislative session comes back in.”
He continued by saying, “Let’s keep advancing and identifying the savings that we need so in January we can press those buttons and give full credit to Gov. Jim Justice for his advocacy.”
During a regular administration briefing last week, Governor Justice questioned the motives behind any delay.
“We could say ‘Well, let’s just defer it and kick it on down the road and everything. Why? Why would we do that?” Justice said. “Are we doing that so somebody after me can take credit? Are we doing that because we have special projects that we want to keep the money and then put it into pet projects? I mean, what are we doing this for?
“I mean, at the end of the day, I’m here and I’m telling you wholeheartedly we need to reward our people with a bigger tax break right now. Inflation’s eating us alive. We’ve got the money. It’s sound and solid as it can be. Do it. Why wait? Why wait?”
Meanwhile, Morrisey and Williams have each said they look forward to a debate as citizens determine the next governor of West Virginia during the Nov. 5 general election cycle.
“It looks like it’s coming together. I don’t think we have a date that’s settled,” Williams said today on “Watchdog Radio.
“He and I have some things that we would likely agree on, a lot of things that we wouldn’t — but more than anything else, it’s just the way that we go about doing business. The 12 years that I’ve been mayor have prepared me to be able to do this, and I don’t know that my opponent has what is necessary from his background to step in day one to do what needs to be done as governor.”
Morrisey, speaking on “Talk of the Town,” agreed that he is ready to debate.
“There will be some discussions in the days and weeks ahead, and I look forward to it because I think there’ll be a real contrast in terms of experience and vision,” Morrisey said on WAJR.
“And so I think that’s important. So I’m excited about it, and we’re going to have a discussion with some people, and let’s see what happens in terms of timing of it ,” Morrisey said in the radio interview. “But we definitely are engaged, and I think I can say fairly safely there will be a debate.”