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For 161 years, West Virginia has been our Wild and Wonderful home. Much good is taking place right now, and it's not hard to be bullish about the state's future.
Consider: in the past year, we've seen personal income tax rates drop 21.5% for all residents. We've seen the state Legislature pass a measure that will allow the personal property taxes you pay on your vehicles this year to be refunded during tax season next year. And we've seen lawmakers hold the line on state spending instead of finding a way to waste every tax dollar received.
That's meaningful. That's quite a bit of money going back into your pocket. That's making West Virginia, for the first time in generations, competitive with states such as Ohio, where a more fair and equitable tax system exists.
But what does the future hold? State residents will elect a new governor in November to take office in January. Some of the lawmakers responsible for the tax cuts and the job growth over the past number of years lost their re-election bids in May, meaning the Legislature could be in flux come 2025.
So where does that leave the state? Will a mechanism to eliminate the personal income tax gain traction? As we've noted, that's one way West Virginia could jump to the front of the pack for new development. There also are issues within the Department of Human Services that need addressed, as well as roads, prisons and more.
The key for West Virginia in its 162nd year is to keep forging ahead. "Mountaineers Go First!," as the saying from West Virginia University goes. Let us keep that front of mind in the coming months.