Parkersburg City Council to vote on bus levy, redistricting | News, Sports, Jobs

PARKERSBURG — There are just two items on the upcoming Parkersburg City Council agenda — the final reading of an ordinance authorizing the Mid-Ohio Valley Transit Authority levy vote and the first reading of legislation setting the new council district lines.

Council is slated to meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in its chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building.

The MOVTA is seeking the renewal of the levy for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 at its current rate to continue funding its bus service. The levy generates approximately $3.04 million a year, with about $2.17 million coming from Parkersburg property taxes and the rest from Vienna.

The ordinance passed 8-0 on first reading with one member absent on Jan. 25. It was approved by Vienna City Council the same week.

Council will also vote on the first reading of an ordinance altering the city’s precincts and council districts based on 2020 Census figures.

Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes, who oversees elections for the county, said some residents were moved to different precincts or districts as a result of population changes and new legislative lines drawn by the West Virginia Legislature.

“Some of the bigger changes were in (Districts) 7, 8 and 9, because of the delegate changes,” he said.

In some cases, residents of the same precinct were split between two delegate districts, Rhodes said. County officials shifted census blocks to keep precincts all within the same districts, while maintaining the council districts within 10% of the ideal average population of 3,300.

District 5, which includes the downtown area, grew in size because its population decreased, Rhodes said. Some census blocks were moved from District 4 to 5 “to keep the population in balance,” he said.

Rhodes said he did not take into account City Council members’ residences “until after we got (almost) everything done.” A West Virginia Supreme Court decision determined no one would be removed from office due to redistricting, but Rhodes said no council members’ homes were affected.

Residents who have changed precincts or districts will be notified before the May 10 primary election.

“We will be sending out … a letter and a card to everybody,” Rhodes said.

Evan Bevins can be reached at [email protected].