MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The City of Morgantown has released details into their capital improvement plans and the budget of capital escrow expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year.
City Finance Director Jonathan Furgison presented details of the City of Morgantown Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Years 2026-2030 where he detailed approximately $60 million in projected capital improvement expenditures scheduled for the next five years. This included a breakdown of projected capital expenditures for FY 2025-26 as well as a proposal for an approximately $7.74 million budget for the City of Morgantown Capital Escrow Fund for FY 2025-26. Furgison presented the plan and budgets in resolution form during the council’s regular meeting Tuesday, which they approved in a 5-0 vote (Morgantown Deputy Mayor Jenny Selin and Councilor Brian Butcher were unable to attend).
“Our total investment is a total of $60 million over the next five years, our funding sources for that come from city’s general fund. We also have the capital portion of municipal service fees for the municipal sales tax.”
According to Furgison, the majority of the projected expenditures accounted into the City of Morgantown Capital Improvement Plan are designated to be implemented in Fiscal Years 2026-27 and 2027-28. The allocations for both of those years total at approximately $32.93 million combined and cover over $11 million in allocations for the City of Morgantown Department of Public Works, $8.7 million for the Morgantown Fire Department, and just over $9 million for the Morgantown Municipal Airport. Similar allocation expenditures were accounted for for Fiscal Year 2028-29 and the year after that with the capital escrow expenditures projected to be a combined $17 million
“We are budgeting and planning for upgrades and maintenance to critical infrastructure, including roads, right away improvements, and public buildings. We are also budgeting for the Morgantown municipal airport and the demolition of dilapidated structures.”
Furgison also presented the approximately $7.74 million budget capital escrow fund budget for the city for FY 2025-26, about $1.2 million more than the approximately $6.5 million included as part of the City of Morgantown Capital Improvement Plan. This will not only account for the 2025-26 capital improvement expenditures mainly focused on public works and the improvements at the Morgantown Municipal Airport, but also approximately $1.1 million in bond payment and agency requests. The revenues allocated towards the capital escrow fund will come from a combination of municipal service fee, business and occupation (B&O) construction tax and municipal sales and use tax collections along with contributions from other general fund allocations.
“Overall, the total capital escrow fund revenues are $7,749,759 and combined expenditures are $7,749,759,” said Furgison.
The Morgantown City Council also voted to approve a resolution supporting the establishment of the Morgantown Greenbelt. The proposal would consists of a a northern belt and a southern belt in between a central loop that encompasses downtown Morgantown that could combine over 20 miles of rail trail. This would include portions of the Mon River Rail Trail, the BOPARC parks system and the development of new trails around the Morgantown Municipal Airport and other parts of the Morgantown area. With BOPARC expected to remain in the forefront of the council as capital expenditures are allocated towards different city projects, members of the council hope that the Morgantown Greenbelt will continued to be supported as proposals are contract bids and future plans are discussed in the coming months.
“Several of the neighborhood groups that I’m involved with have already offered their formal support like BOPARC did,” said Councilor Danielle Trumble. “And some of the nonprofits are also very excited about it, so I am happy to see movement (on the proposal).”