Morgantown City Council convened on Tuesday for its inaugural public workshop on fiscal sustainability, part of a restructured format for monthly committee meetings. The session, attended by dozens of residents, focused broadly on the city's financial outlook but centered on the potential increase to the $3 Safe Streets & Safe Community Fee, a user fee deducted from paychecks of people working within city limits.
The fee, enacted on January 1, 2016, has not increased since its implementation. According to city analysis, if the fee had kept pace with inflation over the past decade, it would now stand at $4.11 weekly. The gap represents approximately $1.3 million in lost purchasing power, meaning the fee retains only about 64% of its original value. The $3 weekly charge currently breaks down as $1.77 for streets and public works and $1.23 for the Morgantown Police Department.
The fee supports equipment for police and public works personnel, as well as funding for street paving, resurfacing, cleaning, maintenance, and winter treatment of public streets, medians, and sidewalks. The city's annual summer and fall paving project, a major recipient of user fee funds, was postponed last year but is expected to proceed this spring.
Councilor Mark Downs acknowledged the challenge of proposing any increase. "In terms of the folks I talked to, I don't think anyone is terribly excited about the possibility of fees going up, and that's not surprising. People are stretched thin right now," Downs said. "Even the prospect of an additional dollar a week doesn't sell real well right now in this economic climate."
Mayor Danielle Trumble expressed reservations about the timing of a fee increase, citing the city's failure to complete its paving project last year. "The city did not even get paving done last year. Now, that's starting to take place, but until we are showing that we are being great stewards of the money that we are getting, maybe it's a bad time to ask for more," Trumble said. She emphasized the need to demonstrate fiscal responsibility before seeking additional revenue.
Downs praised the workshop format, which council members had worked to establish. He highlighted the value of direct communication with residents and emphasized that transparency and openness with stakeholders would be central to the ongoing discussion about the city's financial direction.
