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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission set the county levy rate this week for the upcoming fiscal year.
On Tuesday, the county approved the county levy rate for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
The levy rate is expected to raise $15,742,419 of the county's over $27.6 million budget.
The levies were laid on each $100 valuation of each class of property at 13.81 of Class I property, 27.62 of Class II property, 55.24 of Class III property and 55.24 of Class IV property.
The excess levy for the libraries approved by the voters of Wood County on Nov. 8, 2022, will put its levy rate at .54 of Class I property, 1.08 of Class II property, 2.16 of Class III property and 2.16 of Class IV property.
Commission President Blair Couch said the rate was raised slightly "by a fraction."
"It will raise an additional $75,000 (over the previous year)," he said. "It was minor.
"We have certainly held the line and kept our budget down."
With money from the American Recovery Act, the county was able to make expenditures for things it did not have to spend out of its regular budget, Couch said.
"The county is in great financial condition," he said "We wish we could have done more."
The county's budget gave workers a 4% pay increase and managed healthcare costs.
"It is always going to be a struggle," Couch said.
During Thursday's regular commission meeting, officials unanimously approved an addendum to the West Virginia First memorandum of understanding in regards to expected opioid settlement money coming in as part of a settlement through the state.
The county negotiated with the mayor and they will split the proceeds from the opioid settlement with 45% going to Wood County and 55% going to the City of Parkersburg.
"I would have liked a 50/50 split," Commission Robert Tebay said.
"We tried," Couch responded, adding it was originally going to be 38% for the county and they were able to get it up to 45%.
"We gained additional percentage," Couch added.
Officials said it was the size of the city's fire department and the fact it was a paid department that gave the city the higher percentage.
Both the city and county have incurred additional costs with the opioid crisis the state has gone through.
Couch said through all of their discussions, he is not expecting to get a check up front. It will be something given to the county over time as some of the companies involved scheduled payments to occur over a 15-year period.
"Portions will come at certain points in time," Couch said, adding he is asking their attorneys to give him an idea how that will eventually come to the county.
Couch also said the county has yet to receive a figure of how much they will eventually be getting.
He also submitted his name to Gov. Jim Justice for consideration to be put on the West Virginia First Foundation as a board member. The foundation will be in charge of distributing the opioid settlement funds.
"Consequently, the governing board of the West Virginia First Foundation will play an essential role in safeguarding nearly one billion dollars in settlement funds," Couch wrote in a letter to the governor.
The board will have 11 members with five appointed by the governor. He pointed out his experience as a board member for the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, one of the largest health departments in the state and other boards locally that have seen the impact of the opioid epidemic.
"I want to be on that panel," Couch said.
In other business:
* The Wood County Commission is starting to receive phone calls from customers in the Lubeck Public Service District stating they were opposed to West Virginia American Water (WVAW) taking over operations. WVAW did a presentation before the commission over a week ago on what they could do locally. The meeting was attended by representatives from the area public service districts.
Officials said the customers received a letter asking for their support in opposing WVAW.
Commissioners instructed the County Administrator's Office to check with each caller to see if they are calling in opposition to WVAW or in opposition of the rate increase Lubeck PSD recently asked the commission's approval for.
Back in February, the district appeared before the commission to discuss an 8% increase on water and a 9% increase on sewer. The commission has not taken any action yet on the matter.
Claywood Park PSD also recently asked the commission for a rate increase.
The commission has advocated for the local PDSs to consolidate as a way of saving costs.
"I bet those people have not been in the same room and talked about anything," Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said.
Local PSD officials want to keep local control and feel selling them to a company will increase their customers' water and sewer bills significantly.
Commissioners said they are planning to hold a public meeting, with the possibility of more, to discuss the situation and to go through WVAW's offer with the public.
"That whole thing is months and months and months away from a vote of the commission," Couch said.
* The commission approved the appointments of Mike Pifer, Rick Woodyard, Charlie Meyers, Jack Horton and Lew Peck to the Wood County E-911 Advisory Board.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com