MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown City Council will move forward with four changes to the city charter out of five that were up for a second reading vote during their regular meeting Wednesday.
Charter changes related to the expansion of the requirements for the number of councilors required to call for a special meeting, the deadline for candidates running for council seats to withdraw from an election, a modification to reporting requirements for the city’s boards and commissions, and the residency requirements for the Morgantown City Manager were passed by the council. Three of the charter changes were passed unanimously with little to no discussion, while the changes related to the city manager residency requirements and the duties of the city clerk were contested ahead of a council vote.
“I do think that as we’re creating laws and contracts and things of that nature, I do think those things should be applied to the city manager,” said Morgantown City Councilor Danielle Trumble, discussing the charter change involving city manager residency provisions. “I do think that a residency requirement is important, just like I thought it was important two years ago when the issue was raised the first time,” she said.
The charter change related to the removal of a requirement that states that the Morgantown City Manager be a resident of the city itself was the most contentious proposal discussed during the council’s meeting, passing on a 4-3 vote. The charter change was originally discussed based on resident concerns that were expressed back in 2022 when City Manager Kim Haws, a Bridgeport resident who eventually moved into an apartment in Morgantown, was in violation of the city charter, leading to a change in contract language. Morgantown resident and member of the City Fire Department Dan Horbachewski filed a formal objection during the public hearing where he expressed concerns that were similarly repeated by residents two years ago.
“The main reason I’m opposed to it is the disconnect (that could take place),” said Horbachewski as part of his objection. “As an example, I can guarantee that residents in Asheville, North Carolina, have a lot more knowledge and a lot more information about the situation than I do, simply because I don’t live there,” he said.
Councilors Danielle Trumble, Brian Butcher, and Louise “Wheez” Michael each voted against the charter change with similar sentiments expressed by Horbachewski.
Mayor M. Joe Abu-Ghannam, Deputy Mayor Jenny Selin, and Councilors Bill Kawecki and Dave Harshbarger each voted in favor of the Morgantown City Manager-related charter change. This was based on what was called by those in support of an effort to improve the number of recruits to interview for the position, similar to what has been done for other municipal departments.
“In the past, in order to recruit our police and our fire department, we extended our search beyond city limits,” said Kawecki in support of the charter change. “What we’re doing is doing away with what we might consider optimal, it’s just simply increasing our (recruiting) opportunities,” he said.
The objection filed by Horbachewski can be withdrawn within ten days, if not, the council will have a choice to place the change on a public ballot as part of a special election.
The charter change that would have added an extra line item to the charter that provides the Morgantown City Clerk performs official duties in a nonpartisan manner was not voted on by council. This was objected to by another resident under the guise of making sure the same nonpartisan requirement can be formally stated for all city employees, not just a couple of positions. With two city employees already given a similar nonpartisan provision (the Morgantown City Manager and the Morgantown City Attorney), it was felt by members of council that it was best not to vote on that particular charter change.
“The other two that were listed, each had that provision already in it, so this was filling in a gap,” said Morgantown Deputy Mayor Jenny Selin. “But there’s no reason to leave out the rest of the city employees,” she said.
Councilors unanimously voted to change the requirements for calling a special meeting, to change requirements for city council candidates to withdraw from elections, and to modify reporting requirements for city boards and commissions.
The change related to the number of councilors required to call a special meeting drops the requirement from four to three but retains the power of the mayor to call a special meeting. The charter goes on to specify “and whenever practicable, upon no less than forty-eight hours notice to each member.”
The change related to council seat candidates who wish to withdraw from an election adjusts the date from the eighty-four day requirements in the state code to a period no later than 30 calendar days before the Morgantown Municipal Election in a given year. This would allow for a change from the state-mandated eighty-four-day period for candidates to withdraw from nonpartisan general elections.
The change involving city-established boards and commissions now requires the submission of an annual report that occurs no later than June 30th each year.