In the last meeting of July, the Harrison County Commission returned to many of the same issues with which they have tangled all summer. They also debated and decided what to do with the budget “carryover” from fiscal year 2024-25 to fiscal year 2025-26.
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. Then they heard in the public comment period from Hood Avenue resident Pam Nichols. She shared her household’s plight since the collapse of the Matheny Chrysler structure into US Route 19 and how it destabilized her property as well.
Harrison County Administrator Laura Pysz-Laulis shared a list of options for the carryover that she and her staff compiled in the days and weeks prior to the July 29 meeting.
Option A offered a half percent raise for all sheriff’s deputies and split funding amongst the elected officials’ office budgets.
B would have simply moved the entire carryover to the financial stabilization fund, which serves as the local version of what the State of West Virginia refers to in its own budget as the “Rainy Day Fund.”
C proposed a 1.5 percent raise for all county employees
D would also provide the 1.5 percent raise with different amounts ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 allocated to County elected officials’ offices as well as those under the County Commission.
At the end of the day, however, the Commission opted for a slightly different direction than any of those four. Commissioner David Hinkle amiably stated “I’m going to throw you a curveball and Susan can shut me down, but I am going to say 25 across the board ($25,000 to elected officials’ and Commission offices), a hundred for Planning ($100,000 for the Planning and Zoning Commission to aid in its efforts to tear down dilapidated structures), and one and a half percent” for raises. Remaining funds would end up in financial stabilization.
Thomas, referring to added funds for Planning, said “That’s what I was thinking.”
“When this year started out,” explained Hinkle, “we weren’t sure where we were going to be ” in terms of revenues. Thomas added “we were pleasantly surprised.”
Hinkle went on to share Commissioners’ motivation for the raise, saying “we felt that the employees, on top of what we’ve already done, deserve this little bump. We appreciate them immensely, I guess, for putting up with us.” Thomas then said “what they do, dealing with the public every day.”
He also apologized to Pysz-Laulis and her staff, recognizing the amount of work they had put in to craft the options presented and also the work coming up of implementing the final decision of the Commission. “It’s okay,” responded the County Administrator. We’ll get it done.”
In other business, Commissioners heard a request from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. They came to request $1,500 to help to defer costs of food and drinks at National Night Out. Law enforcement agencies around the country observe National Night Out as a community festival that helps them to engage the community, especially young people.
Commissioners approved support for the event, which will take place on August 5 between six and eight o’ clock p.m. at the Sheriff’s Department headquarters on West Main Street in Clarksburg.
Thomas and Hinkle returned to a discussion commenced in the previous meeting. It concerned hiring an official to help the County with grants, but Commissioners had not agreed on the scope of that job. It could encompass a role of grant writer, grant administrator, or a combination of both. Commissioners voted on hiring an official to administer grants only.
Commissioners held a lengthy discussion with Chad Pillar of Thrasher over a big picture plan for the Rail Trail which will be covered in next week’s edition.
