House Bill Would End Nonpartisan Election Of Local Officials

Municipal elections for city council members and mayors across West Virginia would have until 2032 to be conducted as partisan elections if House Bill 4080 is approved. Many local elected positions in communities like Montgomery, Morgantown, Beckley and Buckhannon are currently nonpartisan by design.

During Tuesday’s House Judiciary Committee meeting, the bill’s lead sponsor Del. Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke, was asked about several contingencies not mentioned in the bill.

Del. Mike Hornby, R-Berkeley, and Del. Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock, both asked if the bill would mandate primaries for local elections. Willis replied that the bill was silent on the issue, but that he was open to the committee’s suggestions.

“I guess you would say my intent to the bill, just the same as our names would be now with (party) beside the name, whether it’s Republican, Democrat, Mountain Party, Libertarian Party,” Willis said. “I can’t remember any other parties that would be listed in the state of West Virginia, but that would suffice for what the bill is trying to do.”

Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, pointed out that many municipalities have nonpartisan elections built into their charter. Hansen used his own home town of Morgantown, where voters can petition for a public vote on council ordinances, as an example of a potential complication to changing a charter.

“It’s out of the hands of the council then, it’s in the hands of the people. So what does your bill do in a situation like that, where the municipality tries to obey the law but the people won’t vote for it?” Hansen asked.

“The bill is silent on that,” Willis replied.

Willis also pointed out a second part of the bill that would require mayors to be elected directly by voters and disallow the selection of mayors by city councils.

“I just think the people should decide who their mayors are, not the city council,” he said.

Hansen asked why Willis thought it was his business to tell municipalities outside of his district how they should elect their mayor.

“I don’t know what you want me to say to that,” Willis said. “I mean, they handle their affairs. They would still have elections. We’re just saying they would be partisan.”

House Bill 4080 was on the agenda of the House Judiciary Committee for Wednesday morning, but was removed at the start of the meeting.