Published: February 19, 2009 02:51 am      

County VFDs get financial boost

Each receives additional $10,000 from commission

FAIRMONT — Following additional funding boosts allocated Wednesday, Marion County’s 13 volunteer fire departments each received a total of $11,200 this year from the county commission.

“We want to, in the future, provide additional funding for the fire departments,” Commission President Randy Elliott said. “This is more than we’ve given in the past. We think the fire departments are important to the safety and welfare of everyone in Marion County.”

Typically, the commission provides just $1,200 per year to the county’s VFDs. But this year, the commissioners decided to also provide an additional $10,000 to each department.

And Wednesday, they voted to divide up a total $65,000 evenly to all departments to take care of the second $5,000 installment.

“We are getting up to where it’s close to what we would like to give every year,” Elliott said of this new total.

In order to receive the most recent funds, the commissioners said the departments will need to provide up-to-date financial statements to keep in the county’s records.

The 13 VFDs within the county that will be receiving this money are Barrackville, Baxter, Boothsville, Bunner Ridge, Fairview, Farmington, Grant Town, Mannington, Monongah, Rivesville, Valley, Winfield and Worthington.

In other business Wednesday, the commissioners voted to enter into a contractual agreement with the West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, to receive a $26,500 grant for a service upgrade at the West Fork River Trail.

County Planner Richard Walton said this money will be used to pave the remaining 6-7 tenths of a mile at the trail. In total, he said this was a $32,000 to $33,000 project.

The commissioners also approved an application for $1,000 in state Community Participation Funds on behalf of the I-79 Development Council, approved several budget revisions, and appointed new members to two county boards.

The first appointment was Craig White to the Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission, and the second was Walton to the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

In addition, the commissioners granted a request to the Marion County Historical Society for $5,000 to fund a promotional fundraising project.

Sheriff Joe Carpenter also said the department is finishing up with interviews for two new deputies and should have a list of hires by the commission meeting next week.

E-mail Mallory Panuska at mpanuska@timeswv.com.