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MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A contingent of Eastern Panhandle lawmakers in the West Virginia House of Delegates is backing a bill that would allow counties to retain more of the excise taxes collected from the transfer of real estate.
Based on current estimates, House Bill 2967 would allow counties to retain about $7.9 million in excise-tax revenue that now is going into the state’s general revenue fund, said Del. John Hardy, R-Berkeley, the bill’s lead sponsor.
“There’s only about 20 counties paying it,” said Hardy, citing information he obtained from State Auditor John “JB” McCuskey. “To me, that money is generated locally. The counties should be able to keep 100 percent of it.”
As introduced Monday, the bill doesn’t mandate how the money would be spent by the counties, but Hardy said Steve Catlett, executive director of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County (W.Va.) Parks and Recreation Board, has pushed for the funds to be restricted for parkland acquisition and development.
In an effort to try to win support for the bill from among other lawmakers, Hardy said he didn’t ask for the funds to be restricted, but was no less supportive of Catlett’s position.
“Berkeley County is in dire need of more green space,” said Hardy, who pointed to the county’s population growth, particularly near Spring Mills, W.Va.
“We need another Poor House Farm Park,” said Hardy, referring to the county’s largest recreation site.
Catlett said Monday it is his understanding that Berkeley County’s share of the funds would have been about $800,000 last year and could be about $1 million for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.
“We’re probably the biggest contributor,” Catlett said of the county’s share of the state-retained revenue funds in question.
With about 25 days remaining in the session, Hardy said he couldn’t guarantee that the bill will be taken up for consideration.
The bill was referred Monday to the House Finance Committee, which is chaired by Del. Eric Householder, R-Berkeley, who also signed on as a bill sponsor.
Despite a relatively small fiscal note attached to the bill, Hardy said he was told that doesn’t mean the bill will make it onto an upcoming committee agenda due to other state budget considerations in play.
Other bill sponsors include Dels. Tom Bibby, R-Berkeley; Jason Barrett, D-Berkeley; Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson; Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan/Hampshire; S. Marshall Wilson, R-Berkeley; and Ruth Rowan, R-Hampshire. Two Cabell County delegates and another from Kanawha County also have signed on as sponsors.
Among other bills of local interest, legislation that would provide an additional county magistrate for both Berkeley and Jefferson counties was reported Monday to the state Senate floor after being replaced with substitute language and passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday.
The committee substitute for Senate Bill 261, which was referred Monday to the Senate Finance Committee, also provides for additional magistrates in Logan, Monongalia and Putnam counties and the eventual reduction of one magistrate position in McDowell County.
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