MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Voters in Morgantown have voted not to repeal the ban on camping on public property and have rejected a proposal to allow the city manager to live outside city limits.
After Article 1157, sponsored by Third Ward councilor Weez Michael, was passed in September of 2024, members of the Morgantown Coalition for Housing Action successfully submitted an amended petition, leading it to the April municipal election ballot. By a vote of 982 not to repeal compared with 904 to repeal, Article 1157 will go into effect 30 days after the election is certified.
The ordinance would also make storing personal property in public areas illegal. Second and third violations of the ordinance come with fines of $200 and $500 for a third violation within 12 months and/or 30 days in jail for each.
“I appreciate our community and the trust they’ve placed in us by supporting the continuation of the camping ban on public property,” Michael said. “We’re dedicated to the public health and safety of all of our residents.”
Councilor from the Seventh Ward Brian Butcher, a frequent helper to connect those with housing, has been opposed to the ban from the beginning and believes this ordinance will make it harder for the homeless and those who try to help them.
“I feel like a lot of misinformation was spread about the effects of this ban, and we as service providers are going to have to do a lot more and try to provide a lot more to make sure people are safe,” Butcher said.
Mayor Joe Abu Ghannam from the First Ward explained he tried to let the process play out and not apply pressure but remain patient while the voters made their determination.
“Honestly, when it came to the ordinances in council, I made my votes, and I didn’t want to sway anyone else’s opinion, so I just waited to see what the results would be here today,” Abu Ghannam said.
Now, Butcher said an education campaign is needed for police, providers, and the homeless to ensure each group knows how to comply.
“Trying to educate people is going to be difficult, and I think even educating law enforcement is going to be difficult,” Butcher said. “Even educating our law enforcement is going to be difficult because we never really figured out how this was going to work.”
The issue has divided the community since Diamond Village was disbanded under protest about four years ago. Issues that have been debated but not addressed, like increasing the number of available beds, a bus subsidy program, and additional services for those suffering substance abuse disorder, will now become higher priorities.
“To be honest with you, nobody wins here,” Michael said. “I think the ultimate goal is we really want to get everybody the help they need, and we’ll focus on that and collaborating with people providing the services to get them help.”
The proposed charter change to allow the city manager to live outside city limits failed by a vote 1,410 against to 426 to allow residency outside city limits.