CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Charleston’s $113.5 million budget was presented to the finance committee on Monday. Mayor Amy Goodwin said the current budget won’t include any tax or fee increases and will aim to build upon necessities.
“Making sure that our city services, salt, refuse collection, police, fire, maintaining our park and recreation facilities,” Goodwin said. “This is the meat and potatoes of what we do.”
Outside of funding city services, Finance Director Andy Wood said they will work to give a pay raise to city employees. The city is in year three of a four-year plan.
“Continuing the plan to achieve the $15 minimum starting wage for city employees and maintain the city as a robust employer with a good benefits package available to employees,” Wood said.
Mayor Goodwin said the city put in almost $20 million for road repairs, a decision she believes will keep the city safe.
“If we’re sending an ambulance to your house, by golly it’s getting there. If we’re scraping and salting your roads, our trucks are able to get there,” Goodwin said.
Wood said the city will likely deal with PEIA rates going up for employees and Charleston will soon be without a landfill, forcing the city to use a private company’s transfer station.
“The disposal fee that we pay currently will be more than doubling, so that will have about a $1.5 million impact,” Wood said.
Mayor Goodwin said after looking closely at different departments and their budgets, this year has been one of the hardest to work through because everything costs more.
Wood said the next step is for City Council to vote on this year’s budget at the next meeting in two weeks.
Copyright 2025 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
