Municipal Home Rule Board schedules five regionalized application hearings

The West Virginia Municipal Home Rule Board met via conference call on Friday, June 13 where it was unanimously decided to schedule five regional meetings to hear presentations from the 23 cities.

The meetings will allow each city to make a 60 minute presentation, outlining why they should be one of the 16 selected to join the pilot program.

There will also be a 30 minute section allowing residents of each city to lobby for or against the program.

“We want the public’s opinion on this, we want the cities’ outline on this,” Board Member Patsy Trecost said. “We feel that by giving a regionalized meeting, we can judge all cities equally.”

The schedule is as follows:

For Bluefield, Lewisburg, Oak Hill and Princeton
July 7, 8:00 a.m.
Beckley City Hall

For Dunbar, Milton, Nitro, Spencer, South Charleston and St. Albans
August 4, 8:00 a.m.
WV Economic Development Authority, Charleston

For Moundsville, Parkersburg, Vienna and Weirton
August 11, 8:00 a.m.
Wheeling City Hall

For Buckhannon, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Morgantown and Shinnston
August 25, 8:00 a.m.
Bridgeport City Hall

For Bath (Berkeley Springs), Charles Town, Martinsburg and Ranson
September 8, 8:00 a.m.
Holliday Inn, Martinsburg

At the completion of the meetings, the Board will reconvene to make their final decision on the 16 new cities to be selected for the pilot program.