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Report from the Legislature

Comprehensive plan action delayed

On Oct. 21, the Jefferson County Commission at its regular meeting officially received the proposed new comprehensive plan submitted by the County Planning Commission. The next step in the process is a public hearing on the new plan, to be held in early December. Some time after that hearing, ...

Reject the comprehensive plan

The Jefferson County Planning Commission has proposed a new comprehensive plan for our county. It should be changed considerably or be rejected by the Jefferson County Commission. Of 55 counties in West Virginia, only five have countywide zoning (four others have partial zoning). Jefferson was ...

A victory for accountability

Recently the Charles Town Utility Board (CTUB) resoundingly rejected a bid by West Virginia American Water (WVAW) to take over the sewer system for Charles Town, Ranson and the surrounding unincorporated area. I think this is good news for the Eastern Panhandle. A couple of years ago, WVAW ...

A tax collected accidentally

Back in April, I went into my friendly neighborhood chain convenience store to buy two daily newspapers (Washington Post and Martinsburg Journal). I usually pay a six percent tax, but this time I was charged seven percent. Currently, the West Virginia state sales tax is six percent, and ...

Birdhill? Poor planning

The proposed Birdhill residential subdivision is, to me, a quintessential example of lousy planning. It is to be located at Kearneysville, fronting on West Virginia Route 480, and is to hold 720 housing units. Some are to be single family, others multifamily. Several weeks ago about 85 people ...

How long should the terms of county commissioners be?

Jefferson County now has a chance to elect a majority of its five-member county commission in November. That rarely happens, because county commissioners in West Virginia serve six-year terms, and the elections are “staggered.” Every two years some are elected, but fewer than a majority. ...

Not time to lock up the librarians

Of all the bills that didn’t pass, during the West Virginia Legislature’s recent Regular Session, the one whose defeat I applauded the most was the one I called the “lock up the librarians” bill. Many call it a “book-banning” bill. That’s technically a misnomer, as the bill ...

Public broadcasting is now less ‘public’

Over 2,000 bills were introduced in the recently completed Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature. Fewer than 300 were passed into law. Some state legislatures limit the number of bills legislators are permitted to introduce. Not so here, thus the large number. And each year’s ...

Dale Manuel: A solid citizen

Jefferson County lost a truly fine citizen with the death of Dale Manuel a couple of weeks ago. I served with Dale for 12 years in the House of Delegates, from 1992 until 2004. We worked together on many ideas to make West Virginia and Jefferson County better, and brought some of them to ...

An exceptionally interesting county election?

This election year might prove to be an unusual one, at least for Jefferson County offices. We might have elections for four of our five county commissioners. County commissioners in West Virginia serve six-year terms. Most counties in our state have three commissioners, but Jefferson and ...