This is a press release sent out today regarding the user fee.

Now that the Supreme Court has issued a ruling upholding Charleston’s $1-a-week user fee, I believe safeguards should be in place to keep the user fee at a reasonable level. The Court believes they could strike down a fee if Charleston or any other city raised it to “exorbitant amounts,” but I believe the Legislature should put a cap on the user fee so there is no doubt what an “exorbitant amount” is.

That is why I will be proposing a bill in the 2006 Regular Legislative Session that limits user fees to no more than $2-a-week for all cities in West Virginia. This gives cities and its citizens flexibility to choose what amount works for them and also safeguards taxpayers from being gouged.

All cities in West Virginia face budget challenges, but so does the working West Virginian. This bill will help both budgets stay in the black.