By Stephen Smoot
Last Thursday, the Region Eight Economic Planning and Development Council held its monthly regular meeting. It took place after community input meetings held in Moorefield and Keyser to gain ideas on the perceived, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were present and affecting economic development either positively or negatively.
First, those present heard from Melissa Earle, executive director, about an, Appalachian Water Workforce Survey conducted by the University of Kentucky concerning the quality and availability of water and waste workforce in the region, as well as area needs.
The Council then entered a discussion on the proposed Fiscal year 2026 budget for Region Eight.
As Earle shared with the Council, every year “the regional Council must adopt a planning and development budget.” This must include requests for funds from the local governments within the Region.
Local contributions get put to work “to secure federal and state operational funds.” The Council heard that the organization typically receives 10 times more from state and federal sources than it receives from local county and municipal governments.
Although the Council has seen several years of operating losses, it continues to have enough capital to continue services and remain financially stable.
One of the major challenges this year lay in “making whole” staff members who rely on the Public Employees Insurance Agency for health coverage. Those working in local governments on PEIA will likely see 16 percent hikes in premiums. A slate of other hikes in co pays, spouse coverage, and more will hit as well.
Earle stated the Council should “see what we can do to make this better.”
The Region Eight budget projects that it can and should provide a $1,500 cost of living adjustment to mitigate the rising costs of employee health insurance. It adds that “most other costs will remain the same.”
That COLA would come as a $1,500 adjustment for all regular and full-time employees who have not received an increase in salary, changed positions, or were brought on in the past six months. A three percent inflation rate since Jan 2024 is the statistical basis for the COLA.
Later in the meeting, Council members floated the option of sounding out other regional planning and development councils to band together and locate a health insurance alternative to PEIA.
Earle responded by saying that various regional councils had entertained the idea, but that they did not have sufficient numbers of potential insured to get a cost benefit relative to PEIA. She stated that some entities “have gone on their own.”
The budget will continue to fund services as before, including assisting local governments in preparing grant applications, create the annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, manage two loan funds for business development, provide technical assistance and workshops, and continue to assist those who support seniors in various ways.
The local contribution will remain $1 per capita, despite the fact that adjusted for inflation the original per capita contribution would now equal just under twice that amount. Board member and Town of Franklin administrator Frank Wehrle reported that the Budget Committee had met and determined that the local contribution “is sufficient.”
David Workman, Hardy County Commissioner and Board member, pointed out significant inaccuracies in the population count performed by the United States Census. “We know it’s not right, particularly for Hardy County.” An inaccurate Census has a direct effect on funding for Region Eight and also other opportunities local governments might pursue.
