2024 Primaries: Local Levy Information
Each levy plays an important part in making Monongalia County a choice destination to live, work and play. The Monongalia County Commission has ballot language for the renewal of four excess levies and a new bond levy for the Monongalia County Board of Education slated to be part of the May 14 primary election. Were all five to pass, it would represent a total of 15.1 cents per $100 of assessed value on Class II (residential) property and 30.2 cents per $100 on Class III and IV (commercial) property. Much of that number is made up of the BOE’s bond levy as the four excess levies combined come to 4.7 cents for Class II and 9.4 cents for Class III and IV. Bond levies require a simple majority for passage while excess levies require a 60% majority. Each of the four excess levies were originally passed in 2016 and renewed in 2020. They will expire June 30, 2025. If renewed, excess levies would run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029.
Monongalia County Urban Mass Transportation (Mountain Line Levy) – Renewal
Election to authorize a levy for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 for the purpose of contributing funds from such levy to the Monongalia County Urban Mass Transportation Authority (Mountain Line) for the acquisition of equipment and other capital improvements ($500,000), and payment of a portion of its general operating, maintenance and other expenses required to provide service ($1,723,973) annually and $8,895,892 during the term of the Levy. The need for such funding has been determined by the County Commission according to the Order of the County Commission of Monongalia County, West Virginia, entered on the 14th day of February, 2024.
The additional levy for each one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of property for each of the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, July 1,
2026, July 1, 2027 and July 1, 2028 shall be:
Class I 1.10 cents
Class II 2.20 cents
Class III 4.40 cents
Class IV 4.40 cents
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Parks & Trails Levy – Renewal
A Levy for fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, July 1, 2026, July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2028, for the purpose of providing funding and maintenance of the Parks, Trails, and Recreation programs in the amount of $1,172,643 annually and $4,690,572 during the term of the levy according to the Order of the Monongalia County Commission entered on the 14th day of February, 2024.
Those funding items include Operations, Expenses, and other Capital Improvements for Camp Muffly Park, Chestnut Ridge Park, Mason-Dixon Historical Park, Mon River and Deckers Creek Rail-Trails, WV Botanic Garden, Westover Park Baseball Facilities, Cheat Lake and Laurel Point Soccer Fields and BOPARC.
The Additional Levy in cents per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation on each class of property for each of the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, July 1, 2026, July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2028, within Monongalia County shall be as follows:
Class I properties .58 cents
Class II properties 1.16 cents
Class III properties 2.32 cents
Class IV properties 2.32 cents
Volunteer Fire Levy – Renewal
The County Commission of Monongalia County, West Virginia, is of the opinion and does hereby find that the following organizations are providing vital public services to the citizens of Monongalia County, West Virginia, and that such organizations are as follows: Monongalia County Volunteer Fire Departments, Monongalia County Hazardous Incident Response Team, Inc., Monongalia County Brush Fire Team, Monongalia County Volunteer Fire Companies Association, Inc., the City of Morgantown Fire Department.
An election to authorize additional levies for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, July 1, 2026, July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2028, for the purpose of providing for the adequate level of funding for each of the said organizations in the following amounts adopted by the Monongalia County Commission on February 14th, 2024.
| Agency | Fiscal Year 2025-2026 | Fiscal Year 2026-2027 | Fiscal Year 2027-2028 | Fiscal Year 2028-2029 |
| Monongalia County Volunteer Fire Departments | $706,968 | $742,317 | $777,413 | $812,238 |
| Monongalia County Hazardous Incident Response Team, Inc. | $54,500 | $57,225 | $60,086 | $63,090 |
| Monongalia County Brush Fire Team | $10,900 | $11,445 | $12,017 | $12,618 |
| Monongalia County Volunteer Fire Companies Association, Inc. | $16,350 | $17,167 | $18,025 | $18,927 |
| City of Morgantown Fire Department | $20,000 | $21,000 | $22,050 | $23,152 |
| TOTALS | $808,718 | $849,154 | $889,591 | $930,025 |
That the total approximate amount for said purpose during the term of the levy is $3,477,488.
The additional levy, allowing for 6% delinquencies and 2% discount, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, shall be on Class I property 0.40 cents; and on Class II property 0.80 cents; and on Class III and IV property 1.60 cents; per $100.00 valuation.
The additional levy, allowing for 6% delinquencies and 2% discounts, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, shall be on Class I property 0.42 cents; and on Class II property 0.84 cents; and on Class III and IV property 1.68 cents; per $100.00 valuation.
The additional levy, allowing for 6% delinquencies and 2% discount, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027, shall be on Class I property 0.44 cents; and on Class II property 0.88 cents; and on Class III and IV property 1.76 cents; per $100.00 valuation.
The additional levy, allowing for 6% delinquencies and 2% discount, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2028, shall be on Class I property 0.46 cents; and on Class II property 0.92 cents; and on Class III and IV property 1.84 cents; per $100.00 valuation.
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Morgantown Public Library System – Renewal
A special election to authorize additional levies for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, July 1, 2026, July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2028, for the Morgantown Public Library System in the amount of $551,770 annually and $2,207,080 during the term of the levy; according to the Order of the County Commission entered on the 14th day of February, 2024.
That the additional rate of levy in cents per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation on each class of property shall be:
Class I 0.27 cents
Class II 0.54 cents
Class III 1.08 cents
Class IV 1.08 cents
In the event the separate and aggregate assessed value of each class of taxable property within the County increases during the term of the special excess levy, any surplus funds received may be utilized for the same purposes during the fiscal year so received.
The Board of Education of the County of Monongalia Primary Election Levy
Shall The Board of Education of the County of Monongalia incur debt and issue Bonds, in one or more series, in the amount of not more than One Hundred Forty-Two Million Six Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($142,640,000), with maturities on such Bonds to run not more than thirty and three-quarters (30 3/4) years from the date of such Bonds, with interest not exceeding the rate of six percent (6.00%) per annum, payable semi-annually, for purposes of planning, developing, acquisition, designing, building, construction, equipping, furnishing and improvement of a school facility and related real property known as the Renaissance Academy, as more particularly described and set forth below (the “Project”) in the Monongalia County School District (the “School District”) to provide adequate, safe and convenient educational facilities for the School District, and levy taxes sufficient to pay the interest on and the principal of such Bonds:
| PROJECT | LOCATION | ESTIMATED COST |
| The Renaissance Academy – A new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)and Career Technical Education (CTE) training center.
Plan, develop, acquire, design, build, construct, equip, furnish and otherwise improve a new STEM focused and CTE training center to be known as the Renaissance Academy, which will meet School Building Authority of West Virginia standards and guidelines. The facility will provide courses in STEM and CTE. The new Renaissance Academy will primarily serve students throughout Monongalia County in grades 9-12, plus adult education programs and training. |
Cass District, Monongalia County, West Virginia | $158,956,179.91 |
| Total Estimated Project Cost (including Costs of Issuance): | $159,440,000.00 | |
| Project Costs Funded by Other Sources, including, but not limited to, SBA Funds, and/or Federal, State, Local, Lease Purchase Obligation Proceeds, Private funds and/or other funds available to the Board: | $16,800,000.00 | |
| Project Costs Funded by Bond Proceeds: | $142,156,179.91 | |
| Estimated Costs of Issuance: | $483,820.09 | |
| TOTAL PAR AMOUNT OF BONDS: | $142,640,000.00 |
The amounts set forth above as “Total Par Amount of Bonds” for the Project includes the estimated capitalized interest and Costs of Issuance for the Bonds, which may be funded from the proceeds of the Bonds that would be issued in the aggregate principal amount of One Hundred Forty-Two Million Six Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($142,640,000). The Board shall be authorized to pay such interest and/or Costs of Issuance from its general funds and/or from the proceeds of the Bonds, as the Board deems appropriate at the time such interest and/or Costs of Issuance are required to be paid.
The foregoing estimated Project Cost amounts include the costs of acquiring any necessary lands, sites and rights-of-way and easements, if necessary, to complete the Project, the payment of interest on the Bonds while the Project is under construction and up to six months thereafter, and
any engineering and architectural costs, construction costs, including, but not limited to, construction manager fees and expenses, the cost of using county maintenance personnel, the costs of erecting, improving, equipping and furnishing the Project, the costs and estimated costs of the issuance of the Bonds, and such other costs, fees, and expenses as may be necessary and/or properly incurred in carrying out the Project. All Handicapped and E.S.S.I.A. Title 1 expenditures are subject to written approval by the West Virginia Department of Education.
The estimated Project Costs set forth above are based upon the estimates provided to the Board by its architects, engineers and other professional advisers, and the actual costs of completing the Project may vary due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Board. To the extent the actual cost to complete the Project is greater or less than such estimates, the Board, in its reasonable discretion, may allocate and expend the available funds (including proceeds of the Bonds and other funds made available to the Board, including but not limited to School Building Authority of West Virginia grant funds and/or Federal, State, local, lease purchase, and/or private funds) to the Project as may be necessary to carry out the intent of this Order and for additions, renovations or other capital improvements to existing school facilities in the School District; provided however, that in any event, (i) the Board shall use its best efforts to first complete the Project described above and (ii) no Bond proceeds shall be used for the purpose of providing funds for the current expenses of the Board. If the proceeds of the Bonds and/or other amounts allocated for the above-stated purposes are insufficient to complete the Project, then the Board, in its discretion, shall adjust the scope of the Project to the extent necessary to complete the Project as approved by the voters of the School District. In the event the Board shall obtain additional money by grant or otherwise from the School Building Authority of West Virginia, the State or Federal government, or from any agency of either, or from any other source (including, without limitation, other funds available to the Board, lease purchase financing, and/or private funds) for use in the acquisition,
designing, building, construction, equipping, furnishing and improvement of the Project, such additional money may be used either in substitution for or in addition to the proceeds of the sale of the Bonds proposed hereby, as may be determined by the Board and the granting body or agency, unless
otherwise set forth in this Order.
The issuance of the Bonds may be subject to (a) the availability of other funds available to the Board (including School Building Authority of West Virginia funding or needs grants, other federal, state and/or local funding, lease purchase proceeds and/or private funding from any source or any combination thereof), in amounts sufficient, in the Board’s reasonable discretion, to undertake and complete the Project, and (b) any and all other necessary actions, approvals and consents required by applicable law; provided, however, that any award of funds by the School Building Authority of West Virginia shall not be a condition precedent to the issuance of the Bonds.
If the voters of the School District approve the incurring of said debt and the issuance of said Bonds, the Board will lay annually upon the assessed valuation of all the taxable property within the School District an additional levy sufficient to provide funds for the payment of the annual interest upon the Bonds as such interest accrues semiannually and the principal of the Bonds at maturity, for which purposes a levy upon each $100 valuation, based upon the last assessment of such property for State and County purposes, will be required as follows:
Upon Class I Property approximately 5.20 cents
Upon Class II Property approximately 10.40 cents
Upon Class III Property approximately 20.80 cents
Upon Class IV Property approximately 20.80 cents
For the avoidance of doubt, the levy rates set forth above are in addition to any other levies currently in place in the School District, including the levy in connection with the Board’s outstanding Public School Refunding Bonds, Series 2019.
NOTICE TO VOTERS:
To vote in favor of the proposition (for the Bond Issue) submitted on this ballot, make a selection next to “Yes.”
To vote against the proposition (against the Bond Issue), make a selection next to “No.”
