CITY OF WELCH ORDER AND NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION FOR AN ADDITIONAL MUNICIPAL LEVY
TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF WELCH: Please take notice that at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Welch, State of West Virginia, held on the 2nd day of February, 2026, as provided by law, the following Order and Notice was made and entered of record, to-wit:
The Council of the City of Welch declares it to be essential, necessary, and imperative for the public welfare of the citizens and residents of the City of Welch that said City continue to make annual contributions to defray a portion of the annual expenses incident to the maintenance and operation of the present McDowell Public Library, located in said City of Welch, and that it is essential, necessary, and imperative that said City continue to maintain and operate parks, playgrounds, and other recreational facilities within said City for the use and benefit of its citizens and residents, and that it is necessary and requisite that it continue to maintain and operate the modern lighting system installed at the entrance to, and in the business and residential sections of, said City of Welch, and that electric street lights in other sections of the City be improved and supplemented, and that it is necessary and requisite that the annual amount now available for the maintaining, repairing, and improving streets, alleys, and public thoroughfares in the City of Welch be supplemented and increased, and that Council further finds and declares that being of the opinion that the maximum levies for current expenses authorized will not provide sufficient and adequate funds for the payments of annual current expenses of said City of Welch, including expenditures for the purpose and improvements herein referred to, and hereinafter set forth, for the five (5) fiscal years, commencing, July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030, and July 1, 2031, and having ascertained that the amounts hereinafter shown and set forth are in excess of the amounts to be raised by existing levies within said City of Welch, and having ascertained, determined and declared that if such additional funds are raised for the purposes herein referred to, there should be submitted to the qualified voters of the City of Welch, at their Special Levy Election, to be held on June 9, 2026, the question as to whether additional levies should be made, and the proceeds therefrom expended for the purposes aforesaid, wherefore, IT IS ORDERED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WELCH:
(1) That the Council hereby determines that additional funds, in the amount of $3,600.00, annually, are necessary for the purpose of aiding in the support and maintenance of the existing McDowell Public Library, in the City of Welch, West Virginia, during the next five (5) succeeding fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031, respectively.
(2) That the Council further determines that additional funds, in the amount of $20,000.00, annually, are necessary for the purpose of paying the annual expenses of the maintenance and operation of public parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities within said City of Welch, West Virginia, during the next five (5) succeeding fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031, respectively.
(3) That the Council further determines that additional funds in the amount of $22,000.00, annually, are necessary to pay the additional annual electricity service charges for the modern lighting system at the entrance to, and in the business and residential sections of, said City, and the addition to, and improvements of, the existing lighting system in other sections of the City of Welch, during the next five (5) succeeding fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031, respectively.
(4) That the Council further determines that additional funds, in the amount of $52,648.00, annually, are necessary for the purpose of maintaining, repairing, and improving streets, alleys, and public thoroughfares in various sections of the City of Welch, during the next five (5) succeeding fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031, as the Council, by resolutions, may, from time to time, designate.
(5) That the amount necessary to carry out the purpose in the preceding four (4) paragraphs of this Order, after making proper allowance for unpaid taxes and shrinkage, is approximately $98,248.00.
(6) That the total amount necessary for the aforesaid purposes for said five (5) fiscal years is $491.240.00.
(7) Should any funds be raised by the levy in excess of the amounts outlined in paragraphs (5) and (6), then those funds shall be used and apportioned for the items listed in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) in the discretion of Welch City Council. Additionally, should the existing McDowell Public Library close or otherwise cease to be operational, Welch City Council shall have authority to reallocate any funds raised by the levy for the existing McDowell Public Library to establish a new library or to be used for the items listed in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) in the discretion of Welch City Council.
(8) That the separate and aggregate assessed valuation of each class of taxable property within the City of Welch is as follows:
CLASS I$ 0.00
CLASS II$ 7,207,384.00
CLASS III$ 0.00
CLASS IV$ 37,737,825.00
TOTAL$ 44,945,209.00
(9)That the proposed additional rate of levy in cents on each class of property for the fiscal years July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031, is as follows:
CLASS I00.00 CENTS
CLASS II12.50 CENTS
CLASS III00.00 CENTS
CLASS IV25.00 CENTS
(10)That the proposed years to which the additional levy shall apply are the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031.
(11)That the City of Welch will not issue bonds for approval of the proposed increased levies.
(12)That the question of the imposition of such additional levies shall be submitted to the voters of the City of Welch at the Special Levy Election to held on June 9, 2026.
(13)That Notice calling such Special Levy Election, and of the submission of the question of increasing the levies authorized by Article 8 Chapter 11, of the Code of West Virginia, for the purpose aforesaid, at the Special Levy Election to be held June 9, 2026, be given to the qualified voters of said City of Welch, by publication of this Order once a week for two successive weeks in the Bluefield Telegraph, a newspaper of Republican Political affiliation and of general circulation in the City of Welch, there being no newspaper of Democratic Political affiliation and of general circulation published in said City. Copies of this Order shall also be posted at each place of voting in said City of Welch at least ten (10) days before said Special Levy Election; that, having due regard to conducting said Special Levy Election at a minimum expense, it is hereby ordered that all the voting precincts now established and existing in Ward No. One (1), Ward No. Two (2), and Ward No. Three (3), be and hereby are consolidated in one voting precinct, and the voting place for all voters of all precincts in Ward No. One (1), Ward No. Two (2), and Ward No. (3), shall be at the Welch City Hall; that all provisions of the Charter of the City of Welch and the laws of West Virginia, relating to the registration of voters, eligibility to vote and the conduct of election shall apply to said Special Levy Election insofar as they are applicable.
(14)That the following named persons be and hereby are appointed commissioners and clerks for the purpose of holding said Special Levy Election:
WARDS NOS. ONE, TWO AND THREE
ALL PRECINCTS THEREIN
Pamela Akers, Commissioner, Kierston Gillespie, Commissioner, Patricia Freeman, Commissioner, Karen Morgan, Clerk and Phillis Osborne, Clerk.
(15)That the form of ballot to be used in said Special Levy Election shall be as follows:
Special Levy Election submitting to the qualified voters of the City of Welch, West Virginia, the question as to whether the Council of the City of Welch shall impose additional levies for the five (5) fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031, respectively, for the purpose of providing funds (a) for annual contributions to the expenses incident to the maintenance of the McDowell Public Library in the City of Welch, (b) to pay the annual necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of public parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities in the City of Welch, (c) to pay a portion of the annual electric service charges for the present street lights, and for the modern lighting system installed at the entrance to, and in the business and residential sections of the said City, and for the addition to, and improvements of, existing lighting system in other sections of the City of Welch, and (d) to pay a portion of the annual cost of maintaining, improving and repairing streets, alleys, and public thoroughfares in various sections of the City of Welch, for the five (5) fiscal years commencing July 1, 2027, July 1, 2028, July 1, 2029, July 1, 2030 and July 1, 2031, to the amount paid for said purposes from the General Fund of said City during said five (5) fiscal years; all of which is in accordance with an Order of the Council of the City of Welch, adopted at an adjourned Regular Meeting of said Council, on the 2nd day of February, 2026.
On Class I PropertyNOT APPLICABLE
On Class II Property12.50 CENTS
On Class III PropertyNOT APPLICABLE
On Class IV Property25.00 CENTS
[] For the Levies
[] Against the Levies
INSTRUCTIONS: Those favoring the additional levies, place an "X" in the square before "For the Levies"; those against the additional levies, place an "X" in the square before "Against the Levies".