On Monday, 16 municipalities in West Virginia
The Home Rule Municipal Board will
make the announcement after holding five regional meetings, which spanned from
July to September, where the 22 cities made presentations showcasing what they
would do with the powers shifted from the state to the local level.
Ideas presented ranged from
implementing a sales tax in order to eliminate B&O taxes to having the
ability to hiring part-time law enforcement to boost staff.
The board has had nearly a month
since the final presentations were heard on September 8 in Martinsburg to
evaluate every pitch on a five point scale. The criteria to determine the
successful cities was not only based on how the presented measures would help
the city itself but how they would benefit the area around them as well.
The hopeful cities are Berkeley
Springs, Bluefield , Buckhannon, Charles Town, Clarksburg , Dunbar, Fairmont ,
Lewisburg, Martinsburg, Milton , Morgantown ,
Moundsville, Nitro, Oak Hill, Parkersburg ,
Princeton, Ranson, Shinnston, South Charleston ,
Spencer, Vienna and Weirton St. Albans
intended to apply but was disqualified after failing to meet the criteria for
home rule status by the June 2 deadline.
In home rule program began in 2007 when the state legislature
approved a four city pilot group. Bridgeport , Charleston , Huntington and Wheeling
