W. Va. Code § 8-38-9 — WV Code / Chapter 8 / Article 38 / Section 9
§8-38-9. Authorization to levy special district excise tax.
Status: in_force

(a) General. — Municipalities have no inherent authority to levy taxes and have only that authority expressly granted to them by the Legislature. The Legislature is specifically extended, and intends by this article to exercise certain relevant powers expressed in section six-a, article X of the Constitution of this state as follows: (1) The Legislature may appropriate state funds for use in matching or maximizing grants-in-aid for public purposes from the United States or any department, bureau, commission or agency thereof, or any other source, to any county, municipality or other political subdivision of the state, under such circumstances and subject to such terms, conditions and restrictions as the Legislature may prescribe by law; and (2) the Legislature may impose a state tax or taxes or dedicate a state tax or taxes or any portion thereof for the benefit of and use by counties, municipalities or other political subdivisions of the state for public purposes, the proceeds of any such imposed or dedicated tax or taxes or portion thereof to be distributed to such counties, municipalities or other political subdivisions of the state under such circumstances and subject to such terms, conditions and restrictions as the Legislature may prescribe.

Because a special district excise tax would have the effect of diverting, for a specified period of years, tax dollars which to the extent, if any, are not essentially incremental to tax dollars currently paid into the General Revenue Fund of the state, the Legislature finds that in order to substantially ensure that such special district excise taxes will not adversely impact the current level of the General Revenue Fund of the state, it is necessary for the Legislature to separately consider and act upon each and every economic development district which is proposed, including the unique characteristics of location, current condition and activity of and within the area included in such proposed economic opportunity development district and that for such reasons a statute more general in ultimate application is not feasible for accomplishment of the intention and purpose of the Legislature in enacting this article. Therefore, no economic opportunity development district excise tax may be levied by a municipality until after the Legislature expressly authorizes the municipality to levy a special district excise tax on sales of tangible personal property and services made within district boundaries approved by the Legislature.

(b) Authorizations. — The Legislature authorizes the following municipalities to levy special district excise taxes on sales of tangible personal property and services made from business locations in the following economic opportunity development districts:

(1) The City of South Charleston may levy a special district excise tax for the benefit of the South Charleston Park Place Economic Opportunity Development District which comprises up to two thousand one hundred contiguous acres of land.

(2) The City of Huntington may levy a special district excise tax for the benefit of the City of Huntington Economic Opportunity Development District which comprises 146 acres of land, subject to holding public hearing as provided in §8-38-6 of this code, submitting the application required by §8-38-6 and §8-38-7 of this code, and obtaining the approval of the West Virginia Division of Economic Development as provided in §8-38-7 of this code.

(c) Annual Reports. — Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, any jurisdiction that imposes a special district excise tax shall compile and issue an annual report for each fiscal year of operation, such year beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30. The annual report shall be issued on or before the next succeeding December 31 after the close of each fiscal year.

(1) The annual report shall be filed with the Governor, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Revenue, and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.

(2) The annual report shall set forth in detail the following information:

(A) The amount of special district excise tax collected during the fiscal year;

(B) The total assessed value of all property located in the district at the inception of the district;

(C) The total assessed value of all property for the most recent property tax year in the district;

(D) A list of all businesses operating in the special district during the report year;

(E) The amount of indebtedness attributed to the sales tax increment financing project;

(F) The date of maturity for debts and annual amortization payment schedules for debt financed with the sales tax increment financing project;

(G) The projected date for retirement of all debt financed with the sales tax increment financing project;

(H) The projected date of dissolution of the special district.