§8-25-1. Legislative findings and purposes.
The Legislature hereby finds and declares that as a result of
changes in the economy, population shifts, new transportation
demands and increasing demands for public services, and as a result
of increasing complexity in government programs and added demands
on public revenues, there is a need to plan comprehensively for the
future development of West Virginia and to provide for the
efficient management of limited public revenues for the purpose of
promoting the orderly development of the state and harmonizing the
development of the state's governmental, social, economic,
environmental and physical resources, while maintaining acceptable
levels of public services and facilities toward the end of
promoting the general health, safety and welfare of all its
citizens. The Legislature further finds that the responsibility
for planning and development rests with the governor of the state,
as the state's chief planning officer. The Legislature hereby
further finds and declares that problems of growth and development
so transcend the boundary lines of governmental units that no
single unit can plan for the solution of these problems without
affecting other units of government; that intergovernmental
cooperation on a regional basis is an effective method to approach
common planning and development problems and to seek more efficient
and economical solutions to common problems of local government;
and that assistance of the state is needed to make the most
effective use of local, state, federal and private resources and funding in serving the citizens of all the state and of such
regions; and the Legislature further finds that any assistance
provided by the state for the purpose of this article is for the
benefit of all its citizens and for a public purpose.
It is, therefore, the purpose of this article to delegate to
the governor, the responsibility for planning and development in
order to (1) achieve the objectives and policies necessary for the
orderly growth and development of the state; (2) facilitate
intergovernmental cooperation; and (3) designate regions and
provide for the creation of regional planning and development
councils; all being hereby declared to be public purposes.