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Commission votes to fund election

County will be reimbursed by Randolph Board of Education

By Brad Johnson 2 min read

ELKINS -- The Randolph County Commission voted Thursday to pay the costs for the March 9 special election for the Randolph County Schools levy proposal, and be reimbursed later by the Board of Education.

Randolph County Superintendent of Schools Gabriel "Gabe" Devono spoke at Thursday's commission meeting, providing details about the proposed levy.

The total amount for the proposed five-year levy would be $16,150,685 -- or $3,230,137 annually -- beginning July 1, 2019 through July 1, 2023.

According to language in the proposed levy, $1 million would be used to make upgrades to facilities, including the installation of turf at Tygarts Valley Middle-High School football and baseball fields, turf and bleachers at Wimer Stadium, turf at the Elkins Middle School softball field and turf at the Elkins High School baseball and soccer fields.

"Today, the vote that we're taking is to be able to allocate funds," Commission President Mark Scott said Thursday. "It's not necessarily to debate the merits of this, it's that we, as a governing body, are responsible for footing the bill in advance for the cost of this election. Then, on the back end after the levy runs, then you all will reimburse the county for those funds."

"The way we understand it, the statute says, if you don't vote for it, you've got to prove that you don't have the money for the special election, and that's not the situation here," Scott said.

Commissioners Scott, Chris See and David Kesling voted unanimously to fund the levy election. Scott said the commission will determine later what courthouse fund the money will come from.

Scott noted that the Randolph BOE will reimburse the cost of the election to the county whether the levy passes or not.

Later in Thursday's meeting, courthouse officials estimated that the cost of the special levy election will be $55-65,000.

Early voting for the levy election will take place at the Wees Annex to the Randolph County Courthouse in Elkins from Feb. 22-March 6, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, March 2.

Officials said the county is already accepting absentee ballots, as well as mailing out ballots.

For more information about the proposed levy, go to the website boe.rand.k12.wv.us or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/rcsw.

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