BECKLEY, W.Va. — Although the Non-Profit Youth Organization Tax Exemption Amendment — commonly referred to at the Boy Scout Amendment — passed overwhelmingly across the state, Fayette County residents voted it down nearly 2 to 1.

With 97 percent of all precincts counted statewide, 236,697 (62 percent) voted for and 146,622 were against, while Fayette County voted 3,530 for and 5,544 against.

The amendment will allow the Boy Scout of America to operate for-profit ventures at the the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean without losing its property tax exemption as a non-profit.

Gary Hartley, Community & Government Relations spokesman for the Scouts, said “The Boy Scouts of America is very thankful to the citizens of West Virginia for passing this amendment. When we chose this site for the Summit Bechtel Reserve, we believed that it was a great opportunity to expose other parts of the world to this extraordinary state, and we can continue to do so on an even larger scale.

“The Summit helps the Boy Scouts of America fulfill its mission of serving America’s youth, providing character-building opportunities, a respect and appreciation for the outdoors, physical fitness, and leadership development. With its extensive and diverse program offerings, the site has become a pinnacle of the Scouting experience, offerings life-changing experiences to our nation’s youth that they cannot experience anywhere else.

“The state has been a valuable partner since we began development of the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve and we look forward to continuing our long-term relationship with this great state.”

Mountain Party House of Delegates candidate Tighe Bullock has been a staunch opponent of the amendment. He sees Fayette County’s opposition as pointing to a larger problem…