Despite an estimated ten percent budget reduction caused by a loss of one percent Racetrack Video Lottery Revenue, the Hancock County Commission continues to receive funding requests from citizen groups. At Monday’s meeting, a letter from Bev Enochs, president of the Newell Community Improvement Coalition, was made a matter of record. Enochs asked if the Commission would continue to fund $350.00/month from May to Oct. to assist the Coalition with the $600/month cost of maintaining the Park. Prior to last year, the park had been included in the County Park system and as such the County was responsible for grounds maintenance.
The Greater Weirton Senior Citizens Center also requested funding from the Commission. The Center, which is not recognized as one of the 55 senior centers in the State, receives no State funding and had previously received a $15,000 allocation from the Commission. Heather Hayes, chairperson, wrote that the Weirton Center was opened because the Weirton/Hancock Senior Center were reluctant or unable to drive to the Hancock Facility on Gas Valley Road.
Also requesting funding, was the Lee Day Report Center which requested a cash match forfunds required for participation in the West Virginia Community Corrections Grant Program; the West Virginia Rt 2/I 68 program for $4,000.00; and a Child’s Place, CASA.
All requests were made a matter or record.
Without the replacement of the one percent Racetrack Video Lottery Revenue, the County continues to deal with a ten percent budget reduction. Last year, Commission opted to tap the Rainy Day Fund to balance the budget, but that is not an option this year.
When questioned if the County would pursue legislation to return the one percent to the County, Commission President Eron Chek said she had reached out to Del. Mark Zatezalo and he had not returned her phone calls. Zetezalo had been the sponsor of the legislation which took the one percent from the County and allocated it to the Municipalities of Chester and Newell.
In other business, the Commission:
**Approved two budget revisions;
**Hired Dog Warden/Humane Officer Ron Notni with a start date of Feb. 18;
**Accepted the resignation of Deputy Ron White;
**Rectified a salary disparity created when the Prosecutor’s Salary was set at a Class 3 level than a Class 2
**Accepted correspondence from Sen. Ryan Weld asking that they serve as the repository to pass through a grant of $1,650.00 for Tomlinson Run State Park;
**Granted approval for the County to apply for the 2025/2026 Record Management Grant. This is a 10 percent matching grant The awarded grant of $14,934.00 will be used to continue by the County Clerk’s office to continue scanning older documents and purchase a storage unit for the Election office, filing cabinets for the records room and an industrial shredder to dispose of old records;
**Approved an employee policy manual change that will add maintenance staff overtime for work done when courthouse is closed;
**Lauded the efforts of the Office of Emergency Services and Courthouse maintenance workers for their outstanding efforts in assisting the City of Weirton during the recent water crisis
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