H. B. 2271
(By Delegate H. K. White)
[Introduced January 15, 1999; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section six, article twenty-five,
chapter eight of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to the
inclusion of members of the banking industry as regional
council members.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section six, article twenty-five, chapter eight of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 25. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS -- REGIONAL PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT.
§8-25-6. Membership, organization, etc., of regional council;
executive committee; officers and personnel.
(a) All municipalities and all counties within the region
shall be represented on the regional council. The county representative shall be the president of the county court
commission
or a member of the county court commission designated
by him or her. The municipal representative shall be the mayor
or a member of the governing body designated by him or her. The
number of members of the regional council by virtue of this
subsection shall comprise not less than fifty-one percent of the
total number of members.
(b) Regional council members serving by virtue of subsection
(a) of this section shall select additional members to serve on
the council to represent principal community or regional
interests, including, but not limited to, commerce, banking,
industry, labor, agriculture, education, health and any such
interests as may be required by federal law or regulations. The
selection of such members shall also provide for reasonable
representation of geographic, economic and ethnic groups without
exclusion of significant minority groups. Subsequent changes in
the designation of representatives shall be determined by the
regional council. The number of members serving by virtue of
this subsection shall not exceed forty-nine percent of the total
number of members.
(c) Each regional council shall select from its membership
a chairman, who shall preside at each council meeting, and an
executive committee, which shall be comprised of one
representative from each county court commission
and one representative from the largest municipality within each county
in the region and such other members as the aforesaid
representatives may select, but such other members so selected
shall not constitute more than forty-nine percent of the total
membership of the executive committee. The executive committee
shall perform such administrative duties as are prescribed by the
regional council in its bylaws and shall exercise the review
function provided for in section nine of this article. Each
regional council may further provide for such other officers as
it shall deem necessary and may establish other committees which
may include citizens who are not regional council members.
(d) Each regional council shall establish personnel rules
and shall appoint a director who shall be qualified by reason of
training and experience. The director shall be empowered to
appoint and remove other employees in accordance with the
regional council's personnel rules. He or she may, with the
approval of the executive committee, enter into agreements with
governmental agencies within the region for the use of personnel,
equipment and facilities.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to clarify that members
of the banking industry may serve on regional councils.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.