CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Leaders from 230 Mountain State cities, towns, and villages are in the Capital City this week for the 2026 West Virginia Municipal League Conference.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin made a push for the city to host the annual event. She’s been the municipal league’s president this year.
“We have not had the summer conference in the city of Charleston for a very, very long period of time,” Goodwin said on “580 Live” with Dave Allen. “(It’s been) close to 13-to-15 years.”
The statewide nonprofit West Virginia Municipal League was founded in 1968. Goodwin said Charleston had hosted winter municipal conferences. She said she was inspired to bring the summer conference to this time.
“I think the city was very gracious in saying, ‘hey listen, everybody comes in; the entire state, all the mayors, city managers, city council members, their teams come in for our winter conference,'” Goodwin said. “But this year, I said, ‘you know what? I’d like to give it a go. I’d like to bid on it. I’d like to have it here.'”
Four hundred and fifty people are arriving Monday for the event, which gets underway Tuesday morning with a golf event and meetings follow in the afternoon. The conference runs through Friday at the Embassy Suites.
Goodwin credited the city’s partnership with the state municipal league for making it happen. She said she’s particularly excited for this year’s event.
“Not just to have everyone from across the state, we are also having Kevin Kramer, who is our national president of the NLC (National League of Cities),” Goodwin said. “In the time that I have been mayor, we have never had a president of NLC come in, and he’s coming in (this year).”
While the topics may not make headline news, Goodwin said, the conversations over the coming week are extremely valuable for leaders all across the state.
“We’re talking about procurement processes, we’re talking about best practices, we’re talking about the policies and procedures that people put in,” Goodwin said. “Or, how do you write good grants?”
Goodwin noted that municipalities throughout West Virginia aren’t filled with employees trained in grant writing. She cited the conference as a tremendous opportunity for leaders to get together and develop good strategies.
The timing of the conference is very important, Goodwin said.
“These are very, very difficult and trying times, certainly, in municipal government,” Goodwin said. “So, it is a wonderful time for us to come in, put in great programming, and host folks who give ideas and ‘steal’ ideas.”
Learn more about the West Virginia Municipal Conference here.