STAR CITY, W.Va. – The schedule for the municipal elections in the Town of Star City, will now be on the ballot in the 2022 General Election. On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Star City recorder Steve Blinko said it has been a process over the last two years and the Monongalia County Commission approved the ballot measure back in August.
Blinko said it would save the municipality as much as $1,500 for each election and he believes more registered voters would participate.
“We had a little over 100 people vote in our last election that was just Star City proper residents voting for council members and the mayor,” Blinko said. “If we move with the county election cycle we’re looking at 700 to 800 people voting.”
Blinko acknowledged Monongalia County Clerk Carye Blaney as the election expert and wants her involvement. He said they have always worked carefully to maintain legal standards in elections, but it certainly not the expertise of Star City officials.
“We really don’t know the inner workings of the election process and how these things run and training is really insufficient at the state level,” Blinko said. “So, anything we can do to get Carye (Mon County Clerk Carye Blaney) to help us and the county to help us going to be best for our citizens.”
“We figure, if we can align this and make one less thing for people to have to remember and put down in their calendars Blinko said. ” Maybe this will help them become more active in their civic duty of voting.”
If approved, Star City council members and the mayor would serve one year terms that would be up for a vote in 2023, then in 2024 the elections would be aligned with county elections.
“That “yes” vote would also mean we would have a one year term for Star City council and mayor in our next election in June,” Blinko said. ” Then it would go back to the two terms which has been the standard since the founding of the city.”
Representatives from both the City of Morgantown and the Town of Granville have stated that they have no intentions on bringing up election charter changes on future ballots. Westover officials could not be reached for comment.