In a conference call with the press on Friday, Department of Revenue Cabinet Secretary Dave Hardy said West Virginia revenue collections for the month of January came in about $18M short of state estimates.
In other words, he said the state essentially took about an 8 percent pay cut.
“Most of it is caused by the drop in energy prices. But we also had a downturn in some of our other industries,” he explained.
The consumer sales tax was the largest source of the drop in revenue, followed by the personal income tax.
7 out of 12 months into the fiscal year, the state is $116 million short of revenue estimates. But Hardy predicts that will grow to as much as $123 million before the end of the fiscal year in July.
Hardy says will lawmakers return to Charleston for their annual legislative session next week, they’ll have to quickly find money to fill this year’s budget gap before they can move on to balancing the 2018 budget.
That budget could have a revenue gap as large as $600 million.
This weekend, the Tygart Valley Homestead School celebrated the 75th anniversary of the first graduating class.
The Great Depression was extremely tough for West Virginians. Thousands of timber and coal jobs were lost across the state.
Like two other sister communities in West Virginia, Arthurdale and Eleanor, the Tygart Valley Homestead was a federally funded program in Randolph County that offered struggling West Virginians the chance to relocate to an area with new job opportunities. Residents all lived in rent-to-own housing built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Patty Lindsay Piercy’s family came to the Tygart Valley Homestead in 1937. Before they moved, Piercy says her family had been going through a very difficult time, economically.
Credit Tygart Valley Homestead Association
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Historic newspaper article, 1940
“They definitely were struggling. My dad worked in the coal mines. And it was just a few days a week maybe if they was lucky enough to work. They didn’t own their own home,” said Piercy.
Piercy was one of about 70 current and former residents of Dailey and East Dailey who joined together on Saturday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first graduating class of the Homestead school.
“It’s still a place where you’re coming home. Even though it’s been that many years, we’re still coming home,” said Piercy.
Sonny Knaggs also grew up on the Tygart Valley Homestead. Knaggs is president of the Tygart Valley Homestead Association, a grassroots organization that’s trying to find support to restore the Homestead School, which serves 140 students kindergarten-fifty grades and is in need of upgrades.
“We would like to see this school building used at least another 50 years,” said Knaggs.
During the celebration this weekend, an Eleanor Roosevelt impersonator recalled the history of when the first lady visited Tygart Valley and even attended a local square dance at the homestead school.
Credit Farm Security Administration
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Tygart Valley Homestead, 1935
The anniversary celebration also marked the launch of a new photo exhibit of historic photos of the Homestead community. This summer, the photo exhibit will travel to libraries and museums throughout West Virginia, beginning at the Beverly Heritage Museum.
The Tygart Valley Homestead Community in Randolph County is celebrating its 75th anniversary this weekend. The Roosevelt Administration built the town of Dailey during the Great Depression to give out-of-work West Virginians a second chance. But the community is now struggling to hold on to that history and to their school building.
During the 1930s, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was personally very devoted to the resettlement communities that were built across the country. She visited Arthurdale in Preston County and the Tygart Valley Homestead.
The vision for these Resettlement communities was to offer work and housing to hard working white Americans who were victims of the Great Depression. Residents had to apply to be offered a job and relocate their families to a resettlement community. No African Americans were selected for the communities.
And the Tygart Valley Homestead was perhaps one of the most successful of the Resettlement communities.
Credit Dan Schultz/ Traveling 219
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Tygart Valley Homestead School
To celebrate its 75th anniversary this weekend, an Eleanor Roosevelt impersonator will travel to the homestead school.
Sonny Knaggs is organizing the celebrations, which begin Friday evening and continue into Sunday afternoon. Although the main purpose of the events will be to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the homestead, Knaggs says the local Tygart Valley Homestead Association is worried about whether the historic school, once visited by Eleanor Roosevelt, will be able to remain in operation. Repairs are needed, including a new roof and electrical upgrades. The future of the school, which teaches 145 kids, Kindergarten through 5th grade, will be discussed this weekend.
