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Commission: No change in Wood County Levy Rate

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Levy Rate will remain the same as last year as county officials do not want to add any additional burdens to taxpayers at a time when prices have been on the rise.

The Wood County Commission held a special meeting Tuesday to unanimously pass the levy rate for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

The proposed $25,389,488 budget for 2022-23, which included a number of grants, was passed unanimously in March by the commission. The levy rate, as set, is expected to raise the money the county will need.

“We were able to maintain the same levy rate this year as last,” Commission President Blair Couch said during Thursday’s regular commission meeting.

The rate on Class 1 property was set again at 13.64; Class 2 property was set at 27.28; and Class 3 and 4 property was set at 54.56.

Officials were able to provide a 4 percent pay increase to employees. The money will be put in certain line items and the elected official/department head will decide how to distribute it. Officials said there will be money available to help with some of the repairs needed at the Mid-Ohio Valley Airport and they are looking at purchasing vehicles and other equipment for the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. The commission is also expected to pay off what is owed for new voting equipment.

“There was a lot of consideration with the things we did at budget to insure we did not have to raise the levy rate in this climate,” Couch said. “With the inflation going on we didn’t want to raise people’s taxes.

“We want to be sure we are treating the citizens as fair as we can.”

In other business:

* The commission reported the levy for the Wood County/Parkersburg Libraries, approved by voters on Nov. 6, 2018, is expected to raise $583,523 with the rate on Class 1 property was set at .54; Class 2 property was set at 1.08; and Class 3 and 4 property was set at 2.16.

* The commission unanimously approved the purchase of six Chevy Tahoes for the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard appeared before the commission and said the Tahoes will cost around $43,000 each compared to Ford Explorers which would cost around $38,000 each.

Woodyard justified going with the Tahoes because they had more interior room for equipment and better gas mileage. The vehicles will be assigned to some of the ranking officers in the department.

Woodyard also said the Tahoes would also have better resale value. Woodyard wants to start selling used vehicles at Gov Deals where some vehicles are getting $5,000 for 100,000 miles on them.

They will be moving equipment into the new vehicles cutting down on new equipment purchases.

* The commission appointed Shawn Graham, Mike Shook, Arnold Green Jr., Beniah Depue, Nathan Forshey, Sean Smith, Gib Jackson and Jack Carr to the Wood County 911 Advisory Board.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com

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