FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: February 14, 2025
Time Requested: 01:44 PM |
| Agency: |
Municipal League, WV |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 2989 |
Introduced |
HB2381 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Elections |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
Municipal General Fund
Sources of Revenue:
General Fund
Legislation creates:
Increases Existing Expenses
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
The stated purpose of this bill is to permit a citizen of this state to vote in a municipal election in a municipality in which the citizen does not reside. According to our interpretation, the number of participants in a municipal election may be increased by the inclusion of any resident of the county in which the municipality is situated who has paid any fee imposed pursuant to W. Va. Code §8-13-13, or owns 50% of title interest in real property within the municipality, or owns 25% or more of a business and has paid a municipal business and occupation tax to the municipality during a one-year period prior to the election.
The inclusion of additional participants in a municipal election can reasonably be expected to proportionally increase the expense of conducting the election. For example, there will be increased costs associated with verifying nonresident eligibility, including administrative expenses for clerks responsible for confirming qualifications and assigning nonresident voters to a precinct. The bill’s implementation could require new rules or guidance from the Secretary of State to regulate non-resident voting and the canvassing of non-resident votes, which may impose additional administrative costs.
We are without sufficient information to estimate the number of additional participants this provision would enable, or the proportional cost increases associated with additional voters. Specifically, there is a lack of comprehensive data regarding:
• The variety and scope of fees imposed under W. Va. Code §8-13-13 across all West Virginia municipalities, which affects how many individuals might qualify under this provision.
• The ownership of all property located in municipalities and the residency of those owners, making it difficult to estimate how many individuals might qualify under the property ownership provision.
• The ownership of businesses within municipalities and the residency of those owners, which limits our ability to estimate how many additional voters may qualify under the business tax provision.
Without this data, we cannot readily quantify the number of additional participants who would qualify in municipal elections and cannot determine the fiscal impact of this bill on municipalities.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2025
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2026
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
Memorandum
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Susan Economou
Email Address: seconomou@wvml.org