MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A member of the Morgantown City Council announced that he will resign from his post as he prepares to move out of his district.
Seventh Ward Councilor Brian Butcher announced at the end of the council’s monthly workshop on Tuesday that he will resign from his seat when he officially moves into a new home outside of his district. Butcher is expected to formally leave his spot on the council once his home officially closes in the coming weeks.
“As of today, I have put in an offer on a new home, and it is outside my ward,” said Butcher. “So as of the time of me closing, I will be resigning from council.”
Butcher has served on the council since being elected back in 2021, which included a tenure as deputy mayor back in 2025. During his time on the council, he was a major proponent for area social service agencies and several progressive policies, including voting against the municipal camping ban that was upheld by city voters during the 2025 election, prior to it being placed on a public ballot. While praising the current members of the council, Butcher expressed gratitude for his time serving.
“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be able to serve this city,” said Butcher. “I love this city, and I am confident that it is in some amazing, capable hands right now.”
Butcher was sued by Metro Properties developer David Biafora for defamation back in 2025 for alleged comments made to Morgantown area developers that claimed he “threatened to kill him (Butcher) and his family.” The City of Morgantown was not named in the lawsuit.
Butcher also noted that he intends to still serve on the council until he officially moves out of his Seventh District home. He also encouraged members of the council to begin accepting applications now in order to name a replacement within the 30-day window that will begin once he moves out of his home and officially resigns. He also noted that he did consult with Morgantown City Manager Jamie Miller about possibly taking on an advisory role if the council chooses a replacement instead of holding a special election in the next 90-120 days for a term that will end on June 30, 2027.
“I let the council know so you guys have time to get interviews and hopefully get a great candidate like Joe in here,” said Butcher, referencing the selection of current First Ward Councilor Joe Abu-Ghannam back in April 2021 after the winner of the seat announced he couldn’t serve. “I would imagine you guys would appoint, I don’t think you would be interested in holding this special election for a term of like seven months.”
Morgantown Mayor Danielle Trumble expressed appreciation towards Butcher’s time on council during Tuesday’s meeting, which was similarly reciprocated by other council members in attendance. This is despite having some levels of disagreement on approaches towards select city policy, even though they both supported the repeal of the municipal camping ban and were active in the efforts to host a winter warming shelter. The plan is for the council to consult with city officials to determine the next move.
“It’ll be a loss for the city, but as mayor, I’ll say that we will work with City Attorney (Ryan) Simonton and City Manager (Jamie) Miller, mostly Simonton, to figure out the next steps,” said Trumble.