By Dakota Baker
Ronceverte City Council held their regularly scheuded council meeting on Monday, May 5, beginning at 7 p.m. Councilmembers Mark Trent, Tanya Hazelwood, Leah Smith, Ashley Guet, Scott Vogelsong, and Mayor Deena Pack were all in attendance.
A public hearing for the proposed zoning updates and changes in town was held. The former Ronceverte Elementary School property is owned by the city of Ronceverte and is zoned as industrial; the requested change is to make the zoning residential. This process requires two readings and a public hearing. There was a question of whether the public had a say in what happened to the area, with Mayor Deena Pack responding that it is ultimately up to the zoning board and the city council, and there is not a public vote. However, she said that they will consider public opinion.
Next, the council reviewed the Home Rule one percent sales tax proposal. Council had previously approved the application for Home Rule, which gives the municipality a little more say in what goes on in city limits, and one of those things was the option to institute a one percent sales tax if approved. If the two readings are approved, then council must submit the request to the tax department. If it’s approved at that stage, Ronceverte does not necessarily have to enact the tax. If enacted, they would meet with local businesses and explain how the tax would work and go from there. This tax revenue would go directly to the tax department, which would then cut a check to the city of Ronceverte which can go to town upgrades, such as sidewalks and lighting.
A citizen asked when Home Rule had previously been discussed. Council reminded attendees that it has been addressed at numerous meetings over the last year, as public meetings were required to be held. Another citizen inquired about the availability of information on Home Rule. Council stated that more information can be found at the West Virginia Municipal Home Rule Program’s website at https://revenue.wv.gov/homerule/Pages/About.aspx.
Council also clarified that Home Rule does not allow them to act without limits, they must stick to the specific scope of things included in the submitted home rule application. Any changes would require submitting a whole new application for approval from the Home Rule board.
Another citizen questioned whether a Business and Occupation (B&O) tax and a one percent sales tax could be enacted at the same time. Mayor Pack explained that it was only one or the other; they could not have both a B&O and a one percent sales tax implemented at once, and they would weigh the options to see which would be the most beneficial. She also clarified that if approved, none of this would occur before January 2026.
Lastly was the regularly scheduled city council meeting. Minutes were approved from the Apr. 7 and Apr. 15 meetings. There was no old business, stormwater, or wastewater-related business to discuss. Ordinance 2025-03 was reviewed for new business, and the first reading was regarding the zoning change related to the old elementary school on Academy Street. Council revisited the information that was discussed during the public hearing, and the Ordinance was approved. Next was the motion to approve the first reading of ordinance 2025-04 related to the Home Rule Sales Tax, which was approved to be read by title only, and the Ordinance was approved. Next on the agenda was the request to move the Farmer’s Market location to an area with better visibility from higher traffic areas. The market will be held every Friday night in June, July, and August from 4 to 6 p.m. The Farmers Market was approved by the council with the new location to be determined after details are reviewed further.
Once again, rules and regulations for citizens’ comments were reviewed in detail before the citizen’s comment period. The city inquired with the West Virginia Ethics Commission to confirm that the City Council sets the agenda and they are not required to hold a citizen’s comments portion of the meeting, as council meetings are held to conduct town business. Council allows citizens’ comments as a courtesy to the citizens, however, the comments need to be meaningful and promote discussion related to topics about the city, not ones used to create disruptions, confusion, or distrust in the city government. Comments are never to be used to attack a city council member; attempts to intimidate or harass a council member will be met with a warning. If it continues, they will be asked to leave.
Mayor Pack emphasized that we are all working together, and if issues need to be resolved, they need to be handled appropriately. It was further emphasized that councilmembers are not required to answer questions during citizen’s comments, but they try to answer the questions they can as a courtesy. Following this portion of the meeting, one citizen had an outburst that resulted in him being asked to leave by law enforcement after several warnings from councilmembers.
In other news, upcoming events in Ronceverte include the return of the Food Truck Festival on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10. The public is invited to come join the festivities! On Friday evening there will be an 80s-themed street dance party with a prize for the best costume. On Saturday morning there will be a 5K run and live music later in the evening, and of course, food trucks available throughout both days. Visit Ronceverte Food Truck Festival on Facebook for more details.
Election Day is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3. Citizens are urged to make sure they are registered to vote in Ronceverte, and can check on their voter registration online or at the Greenbrier County Courthouse.
