The central purpose of the WV Municipal League is to advance the interests and welfare of the people residing in the cities, towns and villages of our State.  The basic goals of the League are to provide information and assistance to municipal officials and to represent

municipalities collectively in matters before the state and federal government.  The objectives to our members are:

(1) To provide means whereby municipal officials and others interested in municipal government may interchange ideas and experiences;
(2) To provide for the collection and dissemination of information relating to municipal affairs; in response to requests by members and, when possible, by other government officials and individuals.  
(3) To secure enactment of beneficial legislation for municipalities; aggressively protect local control and support legislation that strengthens the autonomy of WV municipalities; and to prevent the passage of such measures as may be detrimental to their interests;
(4) To promote education in municipal governments;
(5) To do any and all other things necessary and proper for the benefit of municipalities.
(6) To represent the interests of our collective membership and to serve local governments
by providing cost-effective programs and services.  
The policy statement of the League is approved at the annual meeting and provides
direction for the legislative program of the League.

Once a position or goal has been adopted, the League should be regarded as the formalvoice for the WV municipalities in such matters; however, the League will find it necessary to have assistance from municipal officials in these activities.  The League will not intervene or act upon matters of local dispute between member cities, unless authorized by the Board of
Directors.

ROLE OF CITIES

SECTION I

Local government is the level of government that deals with the basic physical and social
services desired by individuals residing in their communities.  Cities must be provided with
the resources and authority to carry out this vital role.  Citizens of local governments should
have a major voice in determining the nature, scope and funding of various service
programs offered at the local level.

SELF GOVERNMENT

SECTION II

It is the right of the people in a democratic society to govern themselves, to create agencies
and charge such agencies with the duties and responsibilities, and to grant to them such
powers as the people may deem appropriate to serve their needs.  Local government
empowerment is a grant of power, not to the governments, but to the people residing in the
municipalities.

The Legislature should allow all municipal voters the right to use any local assessment they
deem necessary to provide for the local government operation, the services they provide,
and how they provide for the community’s future.  State laws, rules and regulations should
be adopted to allow these local governments to modernize their procedures to best serve
their public.  

It is the purpose of this organization to provide the citizens the power to structure their local
governments as fits their individual needs and desires.  Such changes will allow these
governments to perform the services the citizens deem appropriate and desirable.

PUBLIC FINANCE

SECTION III

The League believes that public finance problems are shared by all.  The State and its political subdivisions should not be in conflict or competition with one another for tax resources; nor should the state or federal government be the sole taxing units in our system of government, thus prohibiting proper local taxation.

(1) Tax legislation must address itself to the revenue and service needs of municipal governments, to enhance and preserve the financial integrity of our municipalities, and also to provide for future increases in revenues.

(2) The state should greatly expand the sharing of resources with local government in a manner commensurate with the responsibilities of these municipalities for providing basic services to their citizens until such a time as the state realizes the true nature of local government operations and provides these governments with
their rightful autonomy.

(3) The state should provide local government the right to impose local taxes for the support of local services of a type, and at a level reflective of the desires of their citizens.  These powers should be granted by removing restrictions in the WV laws, rules and regulations that prevent municipalities from using types and levels  of taxation that are suitable for local economy.

(4) The municipalities must not be required to continue dependence upon a regressive tax system imposed upon them at the state level.  It is vital that municipalities are given authority by legislative action to enact local progressive tax systems for the benefit of its citizens.  The local government deserves the right to rely upon the same revenue sources as the state government, remembering local officials are nearest to the citizens and reflect their concerns and needs on a daily basis.


(5) Proposed legislation affecting municipal income or expenditures must carry financial impact statements to enable the Legislature, public officials and other citizens to evaluate such proposed legislation. 

(6) Municipalities should receive an equitable share of all revenues collected by the State legislature within their respective municipal jurisdictions as provided by law. The State should provide monetary and other incentives to encourage local governments to provide services on a regional basis.

PLANNING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

SECTION IV

The increasing complexity of urban issues and the imposition of greater roles by the state and federal government in the solution of such issues, have increased the need to plan the use of limited resources, establish systems to coordinate planning among governmental units, and relate specific planning activity to the overall needs of our communities.  Therefore, the League supports annexation laws to facilitate annexation to be used as a tool for planning, economic development, and urban growth.  In addition, there is a need for study of the issue of appropriate municipal control over unincorporated areas that use the services of the municipal government.

General law should also be modified to facilitate annexation or consolidation of services on a regional basis where the local citizens desire such changes.  The League supports such consolidation as well as annexation laws that sustain and improve the quality of life in our cities.

Individual annexations are unique to the locality and the League believes that the localities should maintain control of land use decisions and that neither the state nor federal government should usurp a municipality’s power to make such decisions.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

SECTION V

The fair and equitable treatment of public employees is vital to the continuation of strong and effective local governments.  Providing services within financial constraints requires increasing productivity of public employees, continued building and improving of public management practices, and sound personnel procedures and administrative mechanisms.

The League supports the concepts of equal employment opportunity without discrimination in the recruitment, selection, promotion, retention and retirement of public employees.

HOUSING

SECTION VI

One of the greatest needs in all segments of our state is the provision of safe, decent housing for all citizens.  We support equal housing opportunities and urge increased activity and funding for private and public housing to meet this need.  We support programs that would specifically assist in these projects, and urge greater local
control and individual responsibility.  For the benefit of all levels of government, the State should provide assistance to municipalities dealing with blighted areas of their communities, including funding and enforceable laws regulating unsightly/hazardous buildings.

ENVIRONMENT

SECTION VII

Municipalities and their residents depend upon a healthy and productive environment for their long-term well being.  The League is committed to the protection and enhancement of this resource base and to a clean and safe environment.  The League commitment recognizes; however, the need to achieve and maintain a balance for sustaining environmental resources, economic growth and social development in our cities, towns, and villages.

Identifying and protecting resources, as well as managing the human impacts upon them, should be the quest of all levels of government and the priority of the citizenry.

The federal and state legislative bodies and administrative agencies concerned with environmental programs should establish goals with reasonable time frames and standards that are both realistic and cost-effective.

The state and federal governments must provide a means to enable municipalities to carry out mandated required water and wastewater programs.  This should be accomplished with minimum bureaucratic procedures.

Responsibility for establishing rates for user charges in utility services owned by municipalities must be given to those local governments rather than the Public Service Commission.

ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION

SECTION VIII

Revenues collected from highway user sources are needed if municipalities are to meet their responsibilities for construction and maintenance of their local street systems.  These funds shall be designated for this type of expenditure only.

The state should, considering the needs of its constituents, provide financial assistance for the operation of mass transit systems.

ENERGY

SECTION IX

A crucial problem facing our national, state, and local governments is the decreasing availability and increasing cost of fuel and energy.  The consequences of not resolving this difficult problem are of such magnitude that all segments of our society must be encouraged to conserve existing supplies and a high priority must be placed
upon the development of additional safe and renewable sources of energy.

MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY

SECTION X

State imposed restrictions on the ability of municipalities to carry out the functions of municipal government in the most economic and business like manner must not interfere with the responsibilities of local official to provide full value for every tax dollar.  Efforts to update the statutes and rules pertaining to charter and non-charter municipalities should be pursued for both ease of understanding and fiscal integrity.

The League will support measures revising and modernizing the procedures and structures of municipal government in any respect to remove all unnecessary state restrictions on municipal operations.

State or Federal intervention in local affairs is only warranted in matters of greater than local significance. changes should not be made in the laws affecting local government without substantial local input from affected jurisdictions and the League, and include their full participation in developing these changes.