MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Faced with diminishing revenues from dwindling coal severance taxes, the Monongalia County Commission is asking for public opinion on priority agencies.
In December, commissioners approved a county hiring freeze and cutting 25% of budgeted amounts for outside agencies.
County leaders, upon notification from the state, are expecting to lose $300,000 to $500,000 in coal severance tax funding.
Mountain Line Transit Authority is partially funded by those funds.
The county’s budget cut meant a loss of an anticipated $112,000 at the end of the year for the authority.
Annually, the county uses coal severance tax income to fund $450,000 of the transit authority’s $4.8 million budget.
The transit director has proposed a tax levy to generate funds to keep busses on the road.
County commissioners are holding public meeting Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department.
Discussion will include what priorities the public has for potential levy funding.
Levies are required to pass by at least a 60% majority.