Fairmont City Council Discusses Home Rule Possibilities - WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather

Fairmont City Council Discusses Home Rule Possibilities

Posted: Updated:
By Katie Anderson, General Assignment Reporter - email

  • Local News

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 3:51 AM EDT2013-05-22 07:51:48 GMT
    Our warmest day of the next week pushes temperatures towards 90 degrees in some places. With the daytime heating, an afternoon/evening thunderstorm exists for the area. The cold front begins to push through
    Stormy Afternoon?

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 2:18 AM EDT2013-05-22 06:18:54 GMT
    An electrical fire destroyed a home in Harrison County Tuesday night. The Harrison County 911 Center said it started just after 12:15 a.m. on Locust Street in Salem. It said the fire appears to be suspicious.
    Fire destroys a home in Salem just after 12:15 a.m. Tuesday night.

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 11:57 PM EDT2013-05-22 03:57:09 GMT
    Bob Huggins was in Bridgeport on Tuesday evening to speak at the 22nd Annual Stonewall Jackson Friends of Scouting Leadership Dinner.
    Bob Huggins was in Bridgeport on Tuesday evening to speak at the 22nd Annual Stonewall Jackson Friends of Scouting Leadership Dinner.
    •   
FAIRMONT -

Fairmont City Council met Tuesday evening in a work session to discuss the possibility of becoming one of the cities with Home Rule.

Currently, four cities in West Virginia have Home Rule, including Bridgeport.

Home Rule would allow Fairmont to make decisions more efficiently without consulting the state.

If the legislature extends the Home Rule program, Fairmont plans to put in an application.

Fairmont City Manager Jay Rogers said Home Rule has many benefits.

"It's decisions being made locally, flexibility that you have, under Home Rule, you would have the ability if a project comes before you, or a business comes before you to think creatively, out of the box for how to best situate them inside the city. Without going automatically to 'The Green Book,' which is the West Virginia state code," said Rogers.

Rogers said two bills have been introduced: one in the House and one in the Senate, which will hopefully extend the Home Rule program and allow more cities to have Home Rule.