It was a meeting of the minds Monday as officials from Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson Counties came together for the second Legislative Summit at the Woods Resort in Hedgesville.  The morning session involved a discussion about legislative priorities for the three counties.  Those priorities were reviewed for the legislative delegation of the Eastern Panhandle, who joined local officials in the afternoon.Berkeley County Commissioner Bill Stubblefield said the meeting should improve the communication between the county governments, and will serve as a forum to look at the legislative concerns and needs of the area.  Big issues for all three counties include determining the fiscal responsibility of the county commission, jail costs and the homestead exemption for seniors and the permanently handicapped.Glen Stotler, President of the Morgan County Commission, agreed with Stubblefield.  He said that despite differences amongst the counties there are common issues more easily addressed while working together.  Stotler cited regional jail costs and annexation as some of the concerns Morgan County shares with the rest of the Panhandle, Meeting with legislators well before the next legislative session is important because there is less demand on their time according to Jefferson County Commissioner Dale Manuel.  Legislators have more time to write bills and find sponsors for bills now than they will as the legislative session approaches.  Manuel said he thinks that even with counties coming together, the debate will continue about some issues, especially sensitive issues such as fiscal responsibility as it relates to salaries for county employees.

  Commissioners worked through these and other issues in the morning and presented them to legislators in the afternoon.  The hope is that legislators will now be able to focus their attention on tackling issues especially important for the Eastern Panhandle during the next legislative session.

Categories: Local News
Tags: Berkeley County, Eastern Panhandle, Homestead, Jefferson County, Legislation, Morgan County, Taxes