Introduced Version
Senate Bill 760 History
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Senate Bill No. 760
(By Senator Sypolt)
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[Introduced February 18, 2008; referred to the Committee on
Government Organization.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §8-1-5a of
the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to the Municipal Home Rule Pilot
Program; and limitations.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §8-1-5a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. PURPOSE AND SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS; GENERAL
PROVISIONS; CONSTRUCTION.
§8-1-5a. Pilot program to increase powers of municipal self
government.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that:
(1) The future economic progress for the State of West
Virginia is directly related to the success of its municipalities
in that stronger municipalities will make for a stronger West
Virginia;
(2) Municipalities face numerous challenges managing their
budgets and delivering services required by federal or state law or
demanded by their constituents;
(3) Municipalities are sometimes restricted by state
statutes, policies, rules and responsibilities that prevent them
from carrying out their duties and responsibilities in a
cost-effective, efficient and timely manner; and
(4) Authorizing pilot municipalities and metro governments in
West Virginia to exercise broad-based home rule will allow the
Legislature the opportunity to evaluate the viability of allowing
municipalities to have broad-based state home rule to improve urban
and state development.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
section to establish a framework for municipalities within which
new ideas can be explored to see if they can or should be
implemented on a statewide basis.
(c) Effective the first day of July, two thousand seven, there
is hereby created a pilot program to be known as the Municipal Home
Rule Pilot Program authorizing five selected Class I, Class II
and/or Class III municipalities and/or metro governments the
authority to enact any ordinances, acts, resolutions, rules and
regulations not contrary to the Constitutions of the United States
or West Virginia, federal law or chapters sixty-a, sixty-one and
sixty-two of this code.
(d) To be eligible to participate in the Municipal Home Rule
Pilot Program the applicant shall:
(1) Be a Class I, Class II and/or Class III municipality
and/or a metro government: Provided, That a municipality
considering consolidation or establishing a metro government shall
have no more than two years from the date it is selected for the
pilot program to complete its consolidation or metro government
process or its participation in the pilot program will terminate at
the end of the two-year period; and
(2) Have a written plan stating in detail the following:
(A) The specific laws, policies, rules or regulations which
prevent the municipality from carrying out its duties in the most
cost-efficient, effective and timely manner;
(B) The problems created by the laws, policies, rules or
regulations; and
(C) The proposed solutions to the problems, including all
proposed changes to ordinances, acts, resolutions and rules. and
regulations
(e) Effective the first day of July, two thousand seven, there
is hereby created a Municipal Home Rule Board consisting of the
following seven members:
(1) The Governor, or a designee, who shall serve as chair;
(2) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Development
Office or a designee;
(3) The chair of the Senate Committee on Government
Organization or a designee;
(4) The chair of the House of Delegates Committee on
Government Organization or a designee;
(5) One member shall be a representative of the Business and
Industry Council;
(6) One member shall be a representative of the largest labor
organization in the state; and
(7) One member shall be a representative of the West Virginia
Chapter of American Institute of Certified Planners.
(f) The board has the powers necessary to implement the
provisions of this section, including the following:
(1) Reviewing, evaluating and making recommendations to the
proposed plans submitted by eligible municipalities and/or metro
governments;
(2) Consulting with state agencies affected by the proposed
plans;
(3) Selecting municipalities and/or metro governments to
participate in the pilot program;
(4) Approving the plans of recommended pilot program
participants, as submitted or as modified; and
(5) Authorizing amendments to approved plans.
(g) On or before the first day of January, two thousand eight,
an eligible municipality and/or metro government wanting to participate in the pilot program shall submit a written plan as
described in subdivision (2), subsection (d) of this section to the
board.
(h) Prior to submitting a written plan, the municipality
shall:
(1) Conduct a public hearing on the proposed written plan;
(2) Provide at least thirty days' notice of the public hearing
by a Class II legal advertisement;
(3) Make a copy of the proposed written plan available for
public inspection at least thirty days prior to the public hearing;
and
(4) After the public hearing, adopt a municipal ordinance
authorizing the municipality to submit a proposed written plan to
the Municipal Home Rule Board after the proposed municipal
ordinance has been read two times.
(i) On or before the first day of June, two thousand eight,
the board shall select by a majority vote of the board at least
one, but not more than five municipalities and/or metro governments
to participate in the pilot program.
(j) The pilot municipalities and/or metro governments selected
to participate in the pilot program shall have the following
powers:
(1) The authority to pass any ordinances, acts, resolutions,
rules and regulations not contrary to the Constitutions of the United States or West Virginia, federal law or chapters five-g,
sixty-a, sixty-one and sixty-two of this code as specified in their
written and approved plans: Provided, That the pilot
municipalities may not adopt any ordinance, rule, regulation or
resolution or take any action that would create a defined
contribution employee pension or retirement plan for its employees
currently covered by a defined benefit pensions plan; and
(2) Any other powers necessary to implement the provisions of
its approved plan.
(k) Before the first day of July, two thousand twelve, the
Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall conduct a
performance review on the pilot program and the participating
municipalities and/or metro governments. The review shall include
the following:
(1) An evaluation of the effectiveness of expanded home rule
on the participating municipalities and/or metro governments;
(2) A recommendation as to whether the expanded home rule
should be continued, reduced, expanded or terminated;
(3) A recommendation as to whether any legislation is
necessary; and
(4) Any other issues considered relevant.
(l) On or before the first day of January, two thousand
thirteen, the Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall
report to the Joint Committee on Government Organization the findings of the performance review.
(m) The pilot program terminates on the first day of July, two
thousand thirteen.
(n) No ordinances, acts, resolutions, rules or regulations may
be enacted by a municipality or metro government after the first
day of July, two thousand thirteen, pursuant to the provisions of
this section, unless otherwise authorized by the Legislature.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to clarify that pilot
municipalities or metro governments may not pass ordinances
contrary to the provisions of Chapter 5G of the West Virginia Code,
relating to procurement of architect or engineering services.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.