Bill > HB5622

This bill, titled "Amendments to city charters," aims to modify how cities in West Virginia can amend their charters, particularly concerning election procedures and terms of office. It introduces a provision allowing cities to adopt charter amendments solely for the purpose of aligning their election dates and transitional term lengths with a state law, specifically §3-1-31, without requiring a separate vote of the citizens if no objections are filed during the public hearing process. The bill also clarifies that cities must amend their charters or revise their election rules to comply with §3-1-31 by July 1, 2032, and allows for the use of ordinances to make these changes, even if they override existing charter formalities, for the limited purpose of achieving this conformity. Furthermore, it permits municipalities to adjust the terms of elected officials through an ordinance, without a separate voter approval, to align with statewide election dates, with any transitional term adjustments being a one-time occurrence and not extending an incumbent's term beyond what they were originally elected for. Finally, it addresses the sharing of election costs between municipalities and county commissions, capping a municipality's share at its pro rata portion of registered voters within the county.

Government Affairs

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=5622&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill