Thomas to serve as the youngest President of the Preston County Commission in history

KINGWOOD, W.Va. — Commissioners in Preston County have elected their youngest leader in history. Hunter Thomas, 24, has been representing his constituents as a commissioner for the last three years.

“I thought I had enough experience under my belt that I could lend to this position, and it would give me a continued platform to support and serve the people I represent and the entire state of West Virginia,” Thomas said.

The commission will continue their opposition to the Mid Atlantic Resiliency Link, the more than 100-mile transmission line running from Pennsylvania to Virginia in support of data center expansion. Thomas speculates that if the line runs through private property across the county, eminent domain may be used by developers to take the land through court action.

“We don’t want to see that, we have long-term family properties, family farms that are productive farms that have ben in families for generations that is going to affect,” Thomas said.

Work is expected to wrap up on an addition and security enhancements at the Preston County Courthouse this year. The work includes additional space for county workers and security cameras.

“To accommodate our sheriff and some other offices to create a more functional environment for our employees and the constituents we represent,” Thomas said.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the seventh largest county in the state, spanning 649 square miles, have been under financial strain since the pandemic, and many have had to cease operations. Thomas wants to work with state leaders to find a funding source, and if needed, he said the commission could institute a fee or tax to fund the operations.

“The County Commission is going to continue to work and I’m going to be a big advocate to find a funding source potentially through the state,” Thomas said. “Or the County Commission is working on a draft ordinance or a fee.”

Cutting the red tape to access to opioid settlement under the control of the county is a goal for Thomas. Getting those funds into the hands of groups and organizations fighting the impact of the opioid crisis in the right thing to do, according to Thomas.

“All the counties in West Virginia have received opioid settlement dollars, and we have got some of that out the door, but I want to streamline that and make a better process,” Thomas said.