The Five Blueprints of West Virginia Municipalities

ByWesley Holloway

Did you know that Mayors, City Council, and City Managers don’t share the same authorities across municipalities?

West Virginia Code §8-3-2 establishes five specific structural plans for municipal governments. The plans act as a blueprint for municipalities to balance legislative power against administrative authority. While the state provides the framework, municipalities choose the model that best aligns with their size, complexity, and local needs.

Basic City Government Plans
# Plan Description
1 Mayor-Council Plan1 The mayor acts as the chief executive officer overseeing administration, while the elected council serves as the legislative body.
2 Strong-Mayor Plan The mayor serves as the chief executive with expanded administrative authority, including the power to veto actions taken by the council.
3 Commission Government2 Elected commissioners collectively act as the legislative body and individually head specific administrative departments (e.g., finance, public works).
4 Manager Plan The elected council acts as the primary policy-making body and appoints a professional, non-partisan city manager to handle daily municipal operations.
5 Manager-Mayor Plan Operates similarly to the Manager Plan, but features a separately elected mayor who presides over the council and serves as the official head of the city.
1 In the absence of any charter or official declaration to the contrary, a Class IV town or village shall be the mayor-council form of government in accordance with §8-3A-1.
See more about Municipal Classifications HERE
2 Commission Government is not authorized for a Class IV Town under W.V. Code §8-3A-2.

While the plans define the core hierarchy, the section authorizes municipalities to elaborate on the basic requirements provided the provisions documented in the municipality’s charter do not conflict with the purpose and provisions of the plans. As a result, municipalities do not always fit cleanly into one plan.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Share Content: