West Virginia § 7A-8-1 Charter amendment

West Virginia Statutes

§ 7A-8-1 — Charter amendment

West Virginia § 7A-8-1

Ch. 7ACONSOLIDATED LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Art. 8CHARTER AMENDMENT

This text of West Virginia § 7A-8-1 (Charter amendment) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 7A-8-1 (2026).

Text

(a)If a charter is adopted, it may be amended by one of the following methods:

(1)The governing body of the consolidated local government may submit a proposed amendment by resolution to the voters at the next primary or general election. Notice of the election and the proposed amendment shall be published as a Class II legal advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected areas. If a majority of the legal votes cast by the qualified voters of the consolidated local government approve the amendment, then the amendment becomes effective as permitted by law;

(2)The governing body of the consolidated local government may amend the charter by ordinance. However, if a petition signed by at least ten percent of the qualified voters of the consolidated local government is

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(a) If a charter is adopted, it may be amended by one of the following methods:

(1) The governing body of the consolidated local government may submit a proposed amendment by resolution to the voters at the next primary or general election. Notice of the election and the proposed amendment shall be published as a Class II legal advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected areas. If a majority of the legal votes cast by the qualified voters of the consolidated local government approve the amendment, then the amendment becomes effective as permitted by law;

(2) The governing body of the consolidated local government may amend the charter by ordinance. However, if a petition signed by at least ten percent of the qualified voters of the consolidated local government is filed with the governing body within thirty days following publication of the ordinance, the governing body shall submit the charter amendment to the voters at the next primary or general election. Notice of the election and the proposed amendment shall be published as a Class II legal advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected areas. If a majority of the legal votes cast by the qualified voters of the consolidated local government approve the amendment, then the amendment becomes effective as permitted by law; or

(3) If a petition, signed by ten percent of the qualified voters in the consolidated local government, is filed with the governing body of the consolidated local government proposing an amendment to the charter, then the governing body shall submit the proposed amendment to the voters at the next primary or general election. Notice of the election and the proposed amendment shall be published as a Class II legal advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected areas. If a majority of the legal votes cast by the qualified voters of the consolidated local government approve the amendment, then the amendment becomes effective as permitted by law.

(b) If an election is held, then the governing body shall submit each proposed amendment generally in the following form:

Should the amendment described below be adopted for the charter of ()?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

The ballot shall contain a summary of the proposed amendment.