2 of 4 against home rule program

HUNTINGTON — Two of the four candidates vying for the three District 16 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates said they are firmly against the home rule concept for cities, while the other two said the system is not perfect, but something has to be done.

The home rule pilot program, established in 2007 by Gov. Joe Manchin, granted four cities -- Huntington, Charleston, Wheeling and Bridgeport -- a five-year window to establish control over certain matters, such as creating new taxes, without first receiving state approval. Controversy has surfaced over Huntington's use of the plan for a proposed 1 percent occupation tax, and other local officials have questioned the constitutionality of the home rule pilot program.

Both Republican candidates, incumbent Kelli Sobonya and newcomer T-Anne See, said they oppose the home rule idea, while incumbent Democrats Dale Stephens and Doug Reynolds were a little more lenient in their critiques.

"I think when you give someone the power to do something, there are possibly going to be things about it you aren't going to like," Reynolds said. "The city has a lot of problems, and they're trying to do what they can.

"I think if it had been presented in a more revenue-neutral manner, it would have been a lot more palatable and might have been politically easier," he continued. "But, I don't think the answer is to take cities' power way if it's within the bounds of the rules. If people don't like it, they'll vote those politicians out the next time they're up for re-election."

While Reynolds did not vote in support of the home rule pilot program when it passed in 2007, he said he supports allowing cities to have the power unless there is something illegal or corrupt at its core.

"I think if you're trying to use it to improve city issues and it's creating a healthy debate and healthy choices at the local level, it should be allowed."

Stephens echoed Reynolds' assessment.

"The more local control that can be established, it is my belief, the more likely individuals' concerns may be addressed with the context of the specific geographic and economic area," he said. "Cookie cutters don't always make perfect cookies."

Stephens said he thinks more support from the state could prove to be valuable on the local level.

"The provision of a wider array of technical assistance -- records accumulation, transfer, etc., from the state would assist our cities in becoming more efficient and therefore more fiscally sound," he offered.

However, Sobonya had harsh criticism for the program, saying she does not believe the program is in line with the state's constitution.

"You cannot create special laws saying, 'You're worthy of special powers and you're not,' " she said, adding that she voted against the home rule proposal.

Instead, Sobonya suggested a piggyback approach to taxation -- taking 1 percent from the existing 6 percent state sales tax and giving that to the municipality.

"You can't tax your way to prosperity. It has never worked, and it's not going to work in this situation," she said. 'Taxpayers can't do it. We can't go to them every time expecting them to foot the bill."

Sobonya said a more collaborative approach with every level of government is crucial.

"Everyone who is a stakeholder, we need to pool our resources and our brain capital. That's very much missing in this area," she said. "I think there's a solution. What do we need to do to help Huntington? But, a lot of times, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing."

Republican candidate See said she has spent a lot of time trying to listen to both sides and has determined that home rule is not something she could support.

"I feel like it's unconstitutional as well. I have friends on Huntington City Council, so that makes it a little strange, but if you feel something is wrong, it's wrong," she said. "When there's something that there's that much conflict over and people are that passionate about, it's worth listening to, and it just seems like the leaders weren't listening, like their minds were made up, and that's unfortunate."

See said of six delegates representing the area, only one voted for home rule at the state level.

"I think that speaks volumes as well," she said.

See said she knows Huntington must do something to relieve its financial problems and also favors a piggyback tax, as suggested by Sobonya.

"I don't think our people need to be taxed anymore. If our state is supposed to be in the black and not the red, we could take 1 percent of the 6 percent we're already paying and give it to the municipality for pensions and roads, and no one would miss it. Every nook and cranny in the state with a business would benefit from that."

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