By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The full West Virginia Senate is slated to consider a bill that would create an authority board aimed at securing economic development and infrastructure projects that benefit Southern West Virginia counties.
The Senate Economic Development Committee on Wednesday advanced Senate Bill 354, which would create a 13-member board that includes representatives of economic development agencies in McDowell, Mercer, Mingo and Wayne counties and governor appointees from the private sector.
Under SB 354, the board could seek out public-private partnerships, propose legislation for bonding and tax credits to facilitate economic development along the Interstate 73/74 corridor stretching from Northern Michigan to Eastern South Carolina. The bill would empower the new board to foster partnerships with groups in other states along the corridor to build support for projects.
If SB 354 becomes law, the authority could acquire and lease property, with the right to develop and use property and open it to public use. The authority also could contract with any other West Virginia state governmental agency or the federal government.
‘Net-zero carbon footprint’ commitment removed from bill
The body would be called the West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority.
But the Senate committee called into question how devoted it might be to advanced energy by removing a provision requiring the authority to “make a commitment to a net-zero carbon footprint for all endeavors.”
