Moundsville Year-End Report Highlights Budget, Investment by Private Sector | News, Sports, Jobs

(File Photo/Shelley Hanson) This past December, Moundsville resident Jayla Speece and her dogs Max and Molly enjoyed the new dog park situated near the playground at Riverfront Park. The park was made possible thanks to the city’s collection of the 1 percent Municipal Sales Tax funding.

MOUNDSVILLE – Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy presented his year-end report for 2023 to members of City Council during their regular meeting this week.

The 31-page document is a look back on the city’s finances during 2023, including revenues and expenditures. It also talks about construction projects happening in the city, including work on the new municipal building, highlights happenings in each of the city’s departments and investments made in the private sector in the city.

Healy said the document is available at the Moundsville Public Library and will also be posted on the city’s website for residents to read.

“As I look back on the previous year, I am again amazed at our progress,” Healy wrote in the report. “There are multiple reasons the city has seen much success over the last few years, and I am glad to be a part of that success.

“The implementation of the 1% sales tax, a council that considers all allocations of those proceeds carefully, partners joining in, an administration with a vision, employees who want to see success, and all of us working together to that end goal – this is what it takes,” he added. “Parks and Recreation Director White purchased a small plaque for me that now sits on my desk that says, ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.’ How true that is.”

Healy thanked the city’s department heads for submitting their information that made completion of the report possible. He also thanked his secretary Sara Jasenec for her work on the document, too.

Some highlights of the report include that the total revenues for Fiscal Year 2023-24 are $15,108,106. Healy said of that amount, $9,966,893 was new revenue and the remainder of the balance was carryover. He noted revenue continues to increase compared to the last two fiscal years.

“The leading source of revenue is the Business and Occupation tax, budgeted at $2,750,000. This accounts for about 27.5% of the new revenue,” he said.

The city’s 1% Municipal Sales Tax brought in $2.1 million and has allowed the city to continue with projects to help improve the quality of life of residents in the form of new Parks and Recreation projects and construction of the new municipal building, he said.

Healy expressed concern in the report about possible changes to the B&O tax on the state level.

“Any changes to the B&O or Municipal Sales Tax statutes that reduce these could seriously damage the growth and progress in the city,” he said. “There continues to be legislation introduced to attack these revenues, primarily B&O. An overall elimination is highly unlikely without a mechanism to back fill. However, reducing one or the other of our prime revenue sources would be detrimental.”

In 2023, the Municipal Sales Tax funded $331,806 in paving, $38,300 in demolitions of blighted properties, $3,535 for the recycling program, $93,098 for new two police department cruisers, $46,963 for council Thinkpads and related software, $290,772 for recreation projects, $760,482 for future bond payments for the new municipal building, $6,150 for new banners and brackets for the business district, $47,850 for engineering and utility relocation costs for the Fostoria Avenue Bridge project, $1,905 new W.Va. 2 welcome sign materials and $2,500 for tree removal.

Healy’s report also highlighted new construction projects that began or were completed in the city last year. Those included the underway Marshall County Health Department at $8.9 million; the recently opened Aldi grocery at $2.1 million; remodeling of former Teletech for EQT and WVU Medicine, $1.1 million; Kroger plaza remodel, $252,670; and Walmart remodel, $247,397.

New business openings included Aldi, Red Dragon Hybrid Tae Kwon Do, Future of Moundsville Youth Center, D&E Services, Wash-Rite Car Wash, Cherryhaze Tattoo, Up in Smoke Vape Shop and Kathy’s Krafts and Gifts.

Businesses that relocated included E and K Sports Cards, Re’Decorate Consignment, Collins Tech, Interim Healthcare and Joe’s Pre-Owned Autos.

“There were five projects, residential, commercial and public entities, that started new or redevelopment projects that had contract values of $100,000 or more,” Healy said. “The cumulative total being $13,133,112. … This is the largest amount since 2015 with the exception of 2019 when Holiday Inn Express & Suites was constructed.”