Wirt levy gets enough votes

Big cuts will not have to be made to the operating budget in Wirt County.

An operating levy was approved there on Saturday 791-317.  The 70% approval rating was well above the 60% requirement for passage.

It was the third time voters in Wirt County were asked to consider the levy.  It came close to passage in November when almost 59% of voters were in favor of it, but that was not enough for the mandated supermajority.

Without the levy, which generates more than $200,000 every year, county officials had said they would have to cut more than 20% from the budget.

Wirt County is the only county in West Virginia to have an operating levy.  It pays the salaries of non-elected county employees, the regional jail bills and funds county maintenance.