The City of New Martinsville’s finance committee met Monday, Dec. 11 for a special public meeting to discuss a proposed city service fee, a possible B&O tax increase, and increases in elected officials’ salaries. The meeting, to seek ways to increase revenue in the city, was held before an overflow crowd.

The city council has discussed a city service fee for the past couple of months but has met resistance from residents and business owners. At council’s Nov. 6 meeting, local accountant Brenda Botizan had spoken out against the measure, stating that it would be “an accounting nightmare” and would have an adverse affect on low-income individuals who work part-time in the city.

At the Dec. 4 meeting, the ordinance was tabled to allow for further research into the specifics of the measure.

The current, tabled, ordinance states that non-residents of New Martinsville, working for businesses within the city, would be assessed a fee of $1.75 per week.

If more than one non-resident — in one household — works in town, only one of those non-residents would be assessed, proving they come to city hall and sign a waiver.

At the Dec. 11 meeting, Mayor Steve Bohrer said the purpose of the meeting was to try to find solutions to the city’s problem. He said speakers had five minutes to speak, and the meeting would be held in an orderly fashion.

Bohrer said he wanted the meeting to be “a good meeting, a fair meeting, and a meeting we can build on.”

Councilwoman Iris Isaacs said council had previously discussed the city service fee being only for non-residents. However, after looking at several other cities in the state — that have adopted the fee — council found that those cities charge the fee to everyone who works in the city, regardless of where they live. Isaacs said these other cities have a higher fee than the one New Martinsville is proposing. Isaacs reiterated that the city is trying to generate funds for the general revenue fund.

Isaacs explained the city is paying more for materials such as gravel, sand, blacktop, and concrete. She said concrete is now $150 a yard, and blacktop is $100 a ton.

Isaacs said ammunition for the police department is raising.

“Everything we do is increasing, we didn’t want this but when I look at our budget it has increased by $600,000 over the past five years.”

Isaacs said these are all legitimate reasons the city is looking for rate increases and it is not because they have wasted funds, but because of an increase in the cost of living. Isaacs said there are those who feel the city is mismanaging its funds. She said the city is very careful with its money and take great care and pride in how it is spent.

Isaacs said she has no regrets in asking for salary increases, and she said she also has no problem asking for an increase in the city’s Business and Occupation tax.

Isaacs noted that the park and recreation department has not had a new vehicle in more than 20 years. She further stressed that council has not wasted the city’s money.

Councilman Jeff Wright asked how council would police the new city service fee. He said there had been discussion about the B&O tax, some businesses paying and some not, and he wanted to make sure the city service fee was going to be generated in a fair manner, in which everyone pays their fair share.

Several citizens asked questions and proposed different solutions to New Martinsville’s financial problems; however, nothing concrete was decided.

One resident insisted the city provide a figure of the amount they need. The resident said the law is clear on how city service fee monies can be spent.

Council and Mayor Bohrer explained the fees are going to be earmarked for certain expenditures only. Council explained the budget is what they will look at, to decide the amount of money needed. However, as special needs arise, so does the amount of money needed.

Botizan spoke to council again, saying she still believed the city service fee would be a nightmare.

Botizan had a copy of the city budget and audit and said she felt it was impossible to figure out. She gave some specifics such as the amount of money it showed was spent on travel. Mayor Bohrer and council took offense and explained that Botizan was reading it wrong and that the city had not used that kind of money on travel and lodging.

Botizan also questioned the changes in the budget from year to year and the rise in some departments, especially utility rates.

Also speaking was Sharon Thomas from the Wetzel County chamber of Commerce, who stated she had concerns with the effects the city service fee would have on new businesses wanting to locate in New Martinsville, as well as what it would be like to attract good employees who would be willing to stay. She said she felt it would be a deterrent to employees and they would find work in other places. Thomas also spoke about the affect it would have on minimum wage employees who maybe even work only part time and have to buy gas for the commute to town. She said maybe these employees would try to find work closer to where they live.

Councilman Steve Pallisco said he believes the best option for the city would be to adopt a one percent sales tax. Even though it is against the law at this time, the Mayor said he is 99 percent sure the Governor is going to sign it in to law sometime after the first of the year. Pallisco said he would not be for eliminating the B&O tax or city service fee all at once, but if there was a one percent sales tax — and it was generating the funds — the city could maybe phase out the other taxes, or at least lower them.

Sandy Hunt, who owns S&S jewelry in New Martinsville, told council that she and her husband pay the B&O tax, and they also pay all other taxes. She said, “We just can’t keep paying more and more. We make about $40,000 a year and we can’t keep giving it to you.” She did say she supports council and all that they do.

Other business people and residents in the audience also spoke about how the fees would effect them and their businesses.

Mayor Bohrer disagreed with one gentleman who claimed it would be cost saving to contract out the paving of the streets, and that the city would get a more professional job from people who do it for a living. He complained about the condition of some of the street sthe city crews have repaired. Bohrer said he believes the city crews do an excellent job with the manpower and equipment they have to work with.

Another man said the city could save money by having the employees buy their own insurance and then the city could reimburse them. Several others had ideas on eliminating costs for the city.

Mayor Bohrer said the city needed to set up a workshop to discuss all the ideas and to work out the figures and come back with a proposal they felt would solve the problem. The meeting was dismissed and another public meeting will be held at a later date, following the council workshop meeting on the fee increases. Also not discussed, and put on hold until the next public meeting, was the salary increases for elected public officials.