December 12, 2012 at Bridgeport, Conference Center, Harrison County

The Newly Elected County Officials Prep School, a service of the West Virginia Association of Counties, is provided at no cost to newly elected officials to help them prepare to take office with confidence in January. The one-day workshop is designed to cover the basics, especially the “pitfalls” that can inadvertently create conflict and controversy if a newly-elected official is not made aware of them.

This year, over 90 will hear former County Commissioner John Sorrenti’s tips for getting along in the courthouse followed by basic information about personnel and employment issues that will help our new county officials get off on the right foot with employees.

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, and the Christmas season already begun in many area stores, I sit here and try to compile a list of the many things I am thankful for. I could not begin without being thankful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the many blessings he has bestowed on me, my family and friends. I am thankful for my many friends in our WVACo family. Over the past 20 plus years I have been very fortunate to work with a group of outstanding elected officials who put service above self on a daily basis while conducting business in their respective offices. I am thankful for Patti, Kathy, Crystal, Jack (and who can forget Mary) for their hard work, organization skills, and of course their friendship. I am also thankful that we have concluded all the Special, Primary and General elections for a while. I’m really going to miss all those uplifting and positive campaign commercials..(NOT).

Legislation passed in the 2011 Legislative session allowed the Regional Jail Authority to grant five days of good time for successful completion of one of the rehabilitation programs offered:

Domestic Violence, Parenting, Substance Abuse, Life Skills, Alcohol Abuse, and Anger Management. A maximum of 30 days good time may be granted for successful completion of all six programs. Each inmate is charged $25 per class, due upon enrollment. In its first full fiscal year, the program has allowed 1,784 inmates to reduce their sentences by 8.920 days, resulting in a $435,296 savings for counties. The fee charged per class has resulted in $37,115 additional income for jail operations which helps to defray costs to counties.

Recent guidelines adopted by the Ethics Commission.  They are entitled: (1) Prohibited Interest in a Public Contract; (2) How to Seek a Contract Exemption; and, (3) W.Va. Code § 61-10-15 Governing County Officials and County School Systems.

Provided is a copy of the Guidelines as a resource to you, and in order that you may, if  you wish, distribute them to affected public servants, reference them in your newsletters, or post them on your websites.  Of course the guideline relating to W.Va. Code 61-10-15 does not apply to municipal officials or elected members of conservation districts.

Please let me know if you have any questions or any suggestions on other persons who may be interested in receiving these guidelines.  They are also available for viewing on our website, www.ethics.wv.gov.

Attachments:

61-10-15 Public Contract Provisions-County Officials& County Schools Systems.pdf	[ ]	268 Kb
How To Seek A Contract Exemption.pdf	[ ]	156 Kb
Public Contracts Guideline.pdf	[ ]	175 Kb