Senate 957

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 957

By Senators Rose and Rucker

[Introduced February 16, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §8-3-2 and §8-5-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the minimum number of council members for certain municipalities; reducing the minimum number of council members from five to three for Class IV towns or villages with a population of 2,000 or fewer when not divided into wards or election districts; providing flexibility for local determination; and reducing the minimum number of council members from five to three for the manager plan and manager-mayor plan forms of government for Class IV towns or villages with a population of 2,000 or fewer.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3. FRAMING AND ADOPTING AN ORIGINAL CHARTER FOLLOWING INCORPORATION OF A CITY; REVISING OR AMENDING A CHARTER; EXPENSES OF INCORPORATION.

§8-3-2. Charter board for cities -- Organization; journal; quorum; duties; time for draft of charter; form of city government.

If on the returns being canvassed on the question of incorporation of a city, such canvassing to be done by the county commission, a majority of the legal votes cast be in favor of such incorporation, then the legal votes cast for members of the charter board shall be counted and canvassed by the county commission, and the candidates in the number to be chosen who received the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. The charter board shall be convened at a suitable place within the territory, by the member receiving the highest number of votes, not less than five days nor more than ten days after the canvass of the returns. He or she shall notify the other members of the board in writing of the time and place of the first meeting of the charter board. At such first meeting, the board shall perfect its organization by electing a chairman and secretary from its membership and by determining the rules to govern its proceedings. Any vacancy in the membership of the board occurring before a charter is approved by the qualified voters of the incorporated territory shall be filled by appointment by majority action of the remaining members, and any vacancy occurring after approval of a charter as aforesaid shall be filled as specified in section nine of this article. A journal shall be kept by the secretary, in which journal shall be entered, upon demand by any member, the vote by ayes and nays on any question. A majority of the members of said board shall constitute a quorum. The board shall specify the manner for nominating and electing candidates for the first elective offices provided for in the proposed charter at the election to be held on the question of approval of the charter. It shall fix the date of said election and it shall do and provide all other things necessary for making nominations and holding and conducting such election. Any qualified voter and any freeholder of the incorporated territory may file with said charter board any written material bearing upon the purposes of the board, and the board shall give such material so filed such consideration as it may deem proper. The charter drafting process may be carried on through committees, but their work shall be advisory only. The charter board shall complete its draft of a charter within ninety days after its first meeting. It shall be the duty of the charter board to provide in the charter so drafted for a form of city government in accordance with one of the following plans:

Plan I -- "Mayor-Council Plan." Under this plan:

(1) There shall be a city council, elected at large or by wards, or both at large and by wards, by the qualified voters of the city; a mayor elected by the qualified voters of the city; and such other elective officers as the charter may prescribe; and

(2) The mayor and council shall be the governing body and administrative authority.

Plan II -- "Strong-Mayor Plan." Under this plan:

(1) There shall be a mayor elected by the qualified voters of the city; and a city council elected at large or by wards, or both at large and by wards, by the qualified voters of the city;

(2) The council shall be the governing body;

(3) The mayor shall be the administrative authority; and

(4) Other officers and employees shall be appointed by the mayor or by his or her order in accordance with this chapter, but such appointments by the mayor or by his or her order may be made subject to the approval of the council.

Plan III -- "Commission Government." Under this plan:

(1) There shall be, except as hereinafter in this plan provided, a commission of five members elected at large by the qualified voters of the city;

(2) The members of the commission shall be a commissioner of public affairs, a commissioner of finance, a commissioner of public safety, a commissioner of public works and a commissioner of streets: Provided, That a charter for a Class I or Class II city may, and a charter for a Class III city shall, provide for a commission of three members, viz., a commissioner of finance, a commissioner of public works and a commissioner of public safety;

(3) The members of the commission shall elect a mayor from among their membership;

(4) The commission shall be the governing body and administrative authority; and

(5) Officers and employees, other than members of the commission, shall be appointed in accordance with this chapter by the commissioners or by each commissioner with respect to his or her department, as the charter may prescribe.

Plan IV -- "Manager Plan." Under this plan:

(1) There shall be a council of not less than three for a Class IV town or village with a population of 2,000 or fewer, and not less than five nor more than eleven members for all other municipalities, elected either at large or from such geographical districts as may be established by the charter, or partly at large and partly from such geographical districts, and the charter may empower the council to change, from time to time, such districts without amending the charter: Provided, That the change of such districts shall not take effect during the terms of office of the members of such council making such change;

(2) There shall be a mayor elected by the council from among its membership who shall serve as the presiding officer of the council; and a city manager who shall be appointed by the council;

(3) The council shall be the governing body; and

(4) The manager shall be the administrative authority. He or she shall manage the affairs of the city under the supervision of the council and he the manager shall be responsible to such council. He The manager shall appoint or employ, in accordance with this chapter, all subordinates and employees for whose duties or work he the manager is responsible to the council.

Plan V -- "Manager-Mayor Plan." Under this Plan:

(1) There shall be a council of not less than three for a Class IV town or village with a population of 2,000 or fewer, and not less than five nor more than eleven members for all other municipalities, elected either at large or from such geographical districts as may be established by the charter, or partly at large and partly from such geographical districts, and the charter may empower the council to change, from time to time, such districts without amending the charter: Provided, That the change of such districts shall not take effect during the terms of office of the members of such council making such change.

(2) There shall be a mayor elected at large by the qualified voters of the municipality as may be established by the charter, who shall serve as a member and the presiding officer of the council; and a city manager who shall be appointed by the council;

(3) The council shall be the governing body; and

(4) The manager shall be the administrative authority. He or she shall manage the affairs of the city under the supervision of the council and he the manager shall be responsible to such council. He The manager shall appoint or employ, in accordance with this chapter, all subordinates and employees for whose duties or work he the manager is responsible to the council.

The purpose of the provisions of this section pertaining to Plan I, Plan II, Plan III, Plan IV and Plan IV is to establish basic requirements of alternative plans of structure and organization of city government. The structure and organization of a city government may be specified by the charter in respects other than those enumerated, and in elaboration of the basic requirements, insofar as such charter provisions do not conflict with the purpose and the provisions of the alternative plans prescribed.

ARTICLE 5. ELECTION, APPOINTMENT, QUALIFICATION AND COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS; GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; ELECTIONS AND PETITIONS GENERALLY; CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

§8-5-7. Certain officers; wards or election districts; residency and other requirements.

(a) Unless otherwise provided in the charter of a municipality, there shall be elected a mayor, a recorder and council members, who together shall form the governing body of the municipality.

(b) When a municipality has not been divided into wards or election districts:, there shall be at least five council members, but

(1) For a Class I, Class II, or Class III city, there shall be at least five council members to be elected; or

(2) For a Class IV town or village with a population of 2,000 or fewer, there shall be at least three council members.

(c) When the municipality has been divided into wards or elections districts, the governing body may, by ordinance, determine the number of council members to be elected from each ward or election district.

When it is considered necessary, the governing body may, by ordinance, increase or decrease the number of wards or election districts and change the boundaries thereof, the wards or election districts to be made as nearly equal as may be, in population, and when the municipality is divided into wards or election districts, or there is an increase or decrease in the number of wards or election districts as aforesaid, the governing body may increase or decrease the number of council members and, in the case of an increase in the number of council members, direct an election to be held at the next regular municipal election in the additional ward or wards or election district or districts so that each ward or election district may have its full number of council members residing therein and may have equal representation on the governing body. When a municipality has been divided into wards or election districts, the governing body may, by ordinance, also provide for the election of council members at large in addition to the council members to be elected from each ward or election district. The provisions of this subsection are applicable to any municipality except to the extent otherwise provided in the charter of the municipality.

(c) (d) Unless otherwise provided by charter provision or ordinance, the mayor, recorder and council members must be residents of the municipality and must be qualified voters entitled to vote for members of its governing body. A city manager in a manager form of government need only be a resident of the city at the time of his or her appointment.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow for Class IV towns and villages to have fewer council members.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.