Sean Hill, director of the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority, speaks in support of the safety levy during a rally at Slack Plaza Wednesday. The levy, which supports the KRT and first responders throughout the county, is on the ballot in the May primary election.
Sean Hill, director of the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority, speaks in support of the safety levy during a rally at Slack Plaza Wednesday. The levy, which supports the KRT and first responders throughout the county, is on the ballot in the May primary election.
Local leaders, transportation officials and first responders gathered Wednesday to urge Kanawha County voters to back the safety levy, as they’ve done every time they’ve been asked since 1973.
“The safety levy is not a political issue,” Kanawha County Commissioner Lance Wheeler said during a rally held at Charleston’s City Center at Slack Plaza and sponsored by the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce and Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority.
“It [has] bipartisan support here in the county of individuals who understand the importance of making sure that we have the essential funding for our first responders, to make sure that we have the funding to provide bulletproof vests for our police officers, who put their lives at risk every single day, protecting the citizens of Kanawha County to ensure that the ambulances you see behind me are on the roads and close enough when you have an emergency or your family has an emergency that when time is of the essence that we can get there as quickly as possible to save your life.”
The levy brings in about $17.8 million annually, $8.2 million each for ambulance services and bus routes throughout Kanawha County and $1.4 million for local fire and police departments.
KRT Executive Director Sean Hill said funding from the levy makes up 63% of the agency’s budget.
“We move over 1.5 million passengers a year across every corner of this county,” Hill said. “That’s getting people to grocery stores, to schools, to work.”
The safety levy last was renewed during the 2018 election. The backing of at least 60% of voters is needed to pass it.
Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford said the levy helps fund the most important service government provides — protecting people.
“That’s why government started hundreds of years ago,” Rutherford said. “And, in order to do that, we need to continue on with the public safety levy.”
CLICK HERE to follow the Charleston Gazette-Mail and receive
